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Update: Joe Veleno has been recalled and Mitchell Stephens is out with injury. He slid awkwardly into the boards during the last game. Stecher still out, Oesterle and Smith healthy scratch
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Nedeljkovic and Larkin star in OT win
Zach Werenski has made it clear, he doesn’t want to hear the word “rebuild”. CBJ has been “The Little Engine that Could” for the past several years. Making it to the playoffs, going all in and watching players leave for sunshine or city lights. Each successive exodus leaves the players who stay behind more committed to making a go of it. This past off season, when Seth Jones left and signed an enormous extension with Chicago, it began to feel like there was a concession being made. Ownership would potentially take a step backward in order to move forward.
Detroit isn’t the only team with exciting rookies right now. Cole Sillinger, this year’s 12th overall pick, has 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games played. The surprise center played nearly 18 minutes against New York. Columbus seemed to have gotten a special fit in their selection, and it’s a welcome injection to the roster. (Cole still doesn’t have a picture on NHL.com, but Lucas Raymond finally does!)
Stepping back to watch the rookies, Cole and Raymond will likely share the ice at some point. Seider may well end up defending against the newly minted NHLer. Raymond now has 6 goals and 9 assists (15 points) in 16 games. He played nearly 19 minutes against Montreal. Seider has 2 goals and 10 assists in 16 games and has logged as many as 23+ minutes. For Detroit and Columbus, the rookies are drawing interest.
Back to the big picture of team vs team. Unlike Montreal, where Detroit had the edge in statistics, Columbus has the upper hand.
CBJ’s power play is 15th in the league at 21.2. Detroit’s is 24th at 15.4.
The Jackets PK sits at 19th with 81.1% success while Detroit sits at 24th with 75.9 (Detroit has been better lately on the kill).
CBJ hits the “Bowman” number with a 103.3 combined special teams while Detroit is at 91.3%
**if you missed it, Scotty Bowman’s metric for special team’s success was a combined score of 100 - 80 on the pp, 20 on the pk.
Again, Detroit needs to stay out of the box.
Faceoffs favor the Jackets at 51.7(9th) to Detroit’s 49.5 (18th). The Wings have really been feeling the pain on defensive zone faceoff losses. The attempts and time spent defending really wear the team down.
Goals for sees CBJ at 3.08 (11th) and Detroit is at 2.88(18th). Goals against are nearly identical with CBJ at 3.08 (24th) and Detroit at 3.12(25th). CBJ is at a 0 differential while Detroit sits at a negative .24.
Here’s the good news, Detroit is getting better on the PK. Having a differential near “0” signifies another step in the right direction. Here’s the bad news, Columbus really wants to win this one. Detroit seems to bring out the best in some teams, and CBJ can be one of them. Werenski’s commitment to be better than a “rebuild” has him full blown “resistance”. All losses hurt, but a loss to a team that’s torn all the way down and is coming back would “feel” like the writing on the wall. After 10 years of aversion and Columbus getting more and more in Detroit’s head, could the tables finally be turning?
Detroit will have to start on time. I expect a lot of nasty play in tight. Werenski can play Larkin pretty rough (they always make up at dinner), Jenner can run you. Detroit’s surprising start is more than a little irritating to teams who don’t want to slide down the ranks. The Wings have to keep their heads (Bertuzzi and Larkin especially). Laine wants to return to 30+ territory and you don’t want him getting a power play hat trick to get him going. (Giving up one of those is more than enough).
Detroit needs to play “frustrating” hockey. Continued attacks, pucks in deep, quick outlets and in your face neutral zone coverage. Muck up the middle and STAY OUT OF THE BOX.
It would be good to see the Red Wings knock in a power play tally or two. The first unit had some solid looks against Montreal. Unfortunately, Larkin’s line seems to draw many of the penalties and they don’t get on the ice for the first minute or so.
These battles have often resulted in 1 goal games, let’s hope Detroit is on the winning side of it this time.
Some of my previous posts:
Nedeljkovic and Larkin star in OT win
Hard Hab-it to break - pregame
Power Play awful, PK very good in loss
New Enthusiasm for Wings, Ovi on Mt. Rushmore 
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