The Detroit Red Wings want to make sure that they're doing enough to take the opposition goaltender's eyes away, especially in such tight games.
While Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman stymied the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday evening, they felt good overall about the way they played, firing 41 total shots on net.
Every so often, you must tip your cap to the opposition goaltender, and Swayman's performance, especially in the final 20 minutes of play, is worthy of such a gesture.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk, who has made a living in the NHL playing near the crease and taking the eyes away from opposition goaltenders, emphasized the importance of timing and positioning around the net - especially when a goaltender like Swayman was dialed in the way that he was.
"That's an area I love to play at and where I've had success," he said. "Sometimes it's a timing thing, just making sure you're there at the right time as opposed to just planting yourself there and having to take away from the team game offensively and keeping pucks alive.
It's a fine line of that, right? This time of year, things are tight, so it's never a bad play to throw it in there with some people around there. I thought we had some good looks with that last game, but sometimes you need a bounce to go your way."
Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan later expressed his satisfaction with the chances that his team had against the Bruins, especially in close proximity to Swayman.
"When we looked at some of the opportunities that we had, we had a lot of chances in tight, so within two or three feet of his pads," McLellan said. "Those are actually tough chances, hard to get the puck up, and a lot of them are just jamming opportunities, and you hope the puck goes through; he (Swayman) did a good job."
Swayman frustrated the Red Wings all game long, especially in the third period when he made several key stops on the likes of Alex DeBrincat and Moritz Seider, the latter of whom's chance to score appeared to be successful from McLellan's vantage point on the bench until the puck was snagged at the last possible moment by Swayman's glove.
"Shots from distance, we had people in and around that area. On the power-play, I think Mo took a really good shot selection with Copper right in front of the net, and you could see it from the bench. It's going in, it's going in, and all of a sudden the glove pops out. He was there, he did his job. We're not always perfect in that area, but I thought we were better in that area than we had been."
van Riemsdyk has 82 Stanley Cup Playoff games under his belt, including a 2010 trip to the Stanley Cup Final with the Philadelphia Flyers, against current Red Wings teammate Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks.
As a veteran, he recognizes the importance of the stretch that his club is in for their playoff chances.
“I feel like, especially the last few games, we’re recognizing the moments at hand,” he said. “As far as the consistency and discipline and urgency we need to play with, we’re doing a good job of that. It’s tight this time of year, and we’re going to be playing other teams in the same shoes as us who are desperate.”
"I think we have the right mindset, the right approach. It's just about executing and doing our job."
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.