In 3-0 Win, Red Wings' Grit Overcomes Nashville's Big Money
The Detroit Red Wings knocked off the free agency champion Nashville Predators 3-0 Saturday night, relying on a number of low key free agency additions to do so
The Detroit Red Wings got a do-over Saturday night. After the sting of Thursday’s 6-3 season opening loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins subsided, the Red Wings got another chance to ring in a season of high expectations the way they wanted to. But even if a red carpet lined players’ path into Little Caesars Arena, the path to righting all that went wrong a game prior would be a little more difficult to knock off a deep Nashville Predators team that loaded up in free agency.
Saturday saw the Red Wings (1-1-0) follow Thursday night’s loss up with a 3-0 win. It was a precarious win, one that saw the Predators (0-2-0) outshoot them 42-22, with an even gaudier 87-46 differential in attempts. But Detroit limited shot quality and most importantly stopped any that could’ve been goals with a 42-save shutout complemented by 31 blocked shots. And central to those results were the Red Wings’ own free agency adds, with much less splash than Nashville’s but just as much impact.
“I don't see them getting shut out many times this year,” Lalonde said of Nashville after the game. “So that was a pretty good effort, obviously starting with (our) goalie, and then the team defense in front of him.”
The Red Wings' gave up a lot of attempts, but they made good on a number of opportunities. J.T. Compher tipped a shot early in the second period for the game's first goal, while Andrew Copp buried an ugly rebound midway through the third. Dylan Larkin cashed an empty-netter to seal the deal. What really won the game wasn't so much the goals, however; it was the defense that made all but one superfluous.
The seeds of Saturday’s matchup were sown three months ago, when free agency saw Nashville go for broke to turn what was a depth-driven wild card team into one of the NHL’s strongest teams on paper. General manager Barry Trotz added three of free agency’s biggest players to longer-term deals, including Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault, two-time Stanley Cup champion Steven Stamkos and the best available defenseman, Brady Skjei.
“There's two ways to look at it,” Lalonde said after Saturday’s morning skate. “The GM is either going to be in his beach house five years from now, doesn't care, he wants to win now. Or, I think it was more to do with (that) this team took a huge step, and he rewarded them with those three agents.”
Nashville’s situation wasn’t too far off Detroit’s, given the latter’s near-miss playoff push. Expectations rose in Detroit, so much so that many believed the team proved ready to earn some big upgrades in free agency. The Red Wings were in so many rumors of a big splash in free agency — cough cough, nudge nudge Stamkos, who had overlapped in Tampa Bay with both Yzerman and Lalonde. But in the end, no big splashes came. And Stamkos, the long-time Lightning captain, was part of the Predators’ big haul.
The moves Detroit did make were significant, but in the low key way that invites criticism and confusion. The Red Wings pretty much treaded water, replacing certain players and offloading a lot of the offensive depth that carried their team. Their biggest splash was re-signing Patrick Kane — not an addition, but a retention. And while they did somewhat splurge on aged star Vladimir Tarasenko, most of their adds focused on undervalued defensive fixes. A defensive specialist in Tyler Motte. A capable starting goalie in Cam Talbot. Meanwhile, the bulk of the available coffers went to retaining four RFAs headlined by Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, but also including Joe Veleno and Jonatan Berggren.
Maybe there was room for jealousy at the Predators’ lavish lifestyle. Maybe there was room for doubt in the Red Wings’ ability to make what they did add work. Cut it any way you want, these under-the-radar moves looked meager compared to the Predators’ ambition. Whereas Nashville’s playoff appearance earned investment from GM Barry Trotz, Detroit’s own postseason push ended up with a handful of bargains.
Fast forward three months to Saturday night, and it was those bargains that came out on top. Talbot stopped all 42 shots on goal he faced, saving 3.49 goals above expected and 13 high- and medium-danger attempts. Motte, Veleno and Berggren made up a fourth line that overcame their matchups at both ends. And while the goals didn't come from the free agency adds, the Red Wings did get the sort of well-rounded, 200-foot game that they prioritized in free agency.
Nashville’s starpower, meanwhile, went empty-handed. Stamkos took 11 shots but couldn’t find the net. Neither could Marchessault. And Skjei was on the ice for two goals against and gave up three high danger chances.
Even if Nashville outshot the Red Wings, it didn’t outplay them. Detroit led 3.77-3.49 in expected goals as tracked by MoneyPuck. Even if Detroit didn’t get the bulk of the chances, it did make them count. Meanwhile, 31 blocked shots from the skaters in front of Talbot aided a shutout much more in line with the defensive responsibility Detroit wanted to see this season. To the players and coaches, the sheer urgency to win stood out against such a tough opponent.
“These guys don't have the padding that I do, and they're putting their bodies on the line,” Talbot said. “There were some huge ones throughout the entire night, a lot on the PK, 6-on-5. I mean, they were just diving in front of everything tonight. The dedication and sacrifice from the guys in front of me won the game tonight.”
These traits were talked about all summer, but they were absent in Thursday’s loss to Pittsburgh. But given a second chance to prove themselves, the Red Wings made amends in a much more convincing defensive performance. These are the types of performances required for this team to win, and most importantly to get to the playoff goals it wants to achieve come April.
Saturday night, the team that emptied the bank account in free agency hasn’t won a game. The team that added role players and looked for internal buy-in got its first win.
Does this prove Yzerman absolutely correct for holding back? Not yet. Detroit hasn’t topped three goals in an outing, aided by Dylan Larkin’s empty-netter to cap the 3-0 win. There are legitimate concerns for the even strength offense’s ability to replace the lost scoring from last year. And the consistency of Saturday’s defensive performance also hasn’t been shown yet. But two games in, this Red Wings team made good on a lot of the hope that it started the season with.
“The way we played defense tonight and the way that (Talbot) played, we can get away with just two (goals),” Copp said. “And it's going to come. I think we got enough good players. We got scoring up and down the lineup.”
How will all this shake out 80 games from now? How about five years from now? Take your guess. For now — in the present — in a response game needing Detroit to show its identity after an abysmal opener, the Red Wings responded with a big win. And that win also serves as a nod of confidence to the way Yzerman and his staff conducted their business.
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