Chaos at the Net Leads to Down Night for Red Wings’ Penalty Kill against Pittsburgh
By failing to control the net front on the penalty kill against Pittsburgh, the Red Wings gave up two goals. This is part of a larger trend of net front issues for Detroit.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports - Chaos at the Net Leads to Down Night for Red Wings’ Penalty Kill against PittsburghNearly every coach from the youth ranks to the pros will agree that going to the net scores goals. Apparently that’s a lesson the Detroit Red Wings’ opponents are applying on the power play.
The Red Wings’ penalty kill found itself on the ropes against Pittsburgh on Sunday. It surrendered five high-danger chances to the Penguins on a 1-for-4 night, although Reilly Smith’s 1-0 goal was effectively a power play tally as it came a singular second after one expired. Largely, these issues connected to poor play at the net front, where Pittsburgh tipped in both scores within a few feet of the net.
Such penetration of Detroit’s coverage overshadowed an otherwise passable night from the PK. In 6:38 of ice time, the Red Wings blocked five shots while shorthanded, the most of its past 10 games. A lot of these shut down attempts came from the flanks, as Detroit hurried across and prevented one-timers from getting through to the net. However, it was this precise location at the net where the penalty kill fell apart.
The Red Wings’ units failed to control play around the net as Pittsburgh got bodies down low and disrupted Detroit’s formation. Moreover, the Penguins used that positioning to control rebounds and create more shooting chances off of them. Whereas Detroit succeeded in blocking out the flanks to a decent degree, that progress didn’t matter as Pittsburgh earned higher-opportunity shots around them.
Reilly Smith’s goal — again, technically even strength but fundamentally on the power play — came from the puck redirecting off a Moritz Seider block attempt and then Smith’s body at the net. Lars Eller’s goal to end the second period came when he also deflected a shot past Alex Lyon from right in front. These were just the successes for Pittsburgh, although other shots at the net front missed the mark. These shots down low couldn’t exist without attempts from the perimeter, but they became much more dangerous thanks to net front positioning by the Penguins' screeners. If Detroit had cleared the net front or tied up the screeners, the result might have prevented these goals from happening.
Perhaps this stems from an overcorrection to sell out and block point shots. The Red Wings were aggressive in their pursuit of shot blocks, rushing across and selling out to try and stop shots outside. Shots from the perimeter are some of the most common for a penalty kill to face, but opponents will willingly pass them up to get down low.
In a far-too-simplified form, it matters more that Detroit protects its net rather than trying to stamp out all its opponents’ shots. This has come up multiple times in its recent losing slump. Even when the Red Wings’ opponents do score from outside, sometimes its play at the net front directly leads to goals, like when screeners helped Cale Makar score a point blast for Colorado, or when Logan Cooley scored a perimeter one-timer after his teammates drew attention down low and forced Detroit to collapse its coverage.
Losing the net battle has understandably correlated with more chances for Detroit’s opponents. In four games of the past 10 that the Red Wings gave up double-digit shot attempts on the penalty kill, three of these opponents — Vegas, Florida and Pittsburgh on Sunday — took the bulk of their shots down low. Only Colorado focused on shooting from outside, though its screeners influenced the scoring of its two goals.
Part of Detroit’s issue lies with tying up those screeners and escorting them out of dangerous positioning, a responsibility that defensemen have to manage while also staying in shooting lanes to get a block. Balancing both tasks is understandably difficult, but the issues when it’s off-kilter have glared for Detroit these past couple weeks. Players like Smith and Eller can’t make plays at the net if they are boxed out away from it, and that goes for any opponent the Red Wings might face.
Correcting this mistake will be important for Detroit to see more success out of its penalty kill, but also its team as a whole. The Red Wings can’t afford to give up extra goals if they want to stop losing. Paying further emphasis to controlling chaos at the net can be a stepping stone to make that happen.
Coaches at every level will tell you that going to the net scores goals, and Detroit’s opponents couldn’t agree more as of late. If the Red Wings want more out of their penalty kill, playing firmer at the net is a must.
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