The "Same Old Bruins," the process of starting fast, a quick injury update, Jake Walman's added neck protection, and everything else you need to know before Red Wings-Bruins
Tonight, the Detroit Red Wings will be out for vengeance against the Atlantic-leading Boston Bruins, after last Saturday's disappointing 4-1 defeat in Boston. Detroit will play host to the Bruins at Little Caesars Arena for a 7 PM tilt.
"Same Old Bruins"
In the week since the Red Wings last tangled with the Bruins, Boston has only reinforced the notion that they hardly miss now-retired centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. The Bruins claimed home wins against Florida in overtime then Toronto in the shootout. Boston is 9-0-1, and the only team in the Eastern Conference without a regulation loss (the only other team in the league to say the same is Vegas at 10-0-1 out west).
As Alex DeBrincat put it after this morning's skate, they remain "the same old Bruins."
"It's just the identity that they have," said DeBrincat. "New guys come in there, and you have to buy in right away or you're not playing. A lot of those guys have been there for a long time and really demand the most out of their teammates. They stick to the system and they capitalize when they get the chance."
"Our outing down there wasn't our best by any means," said Joe Veleno. "We've got to raise our compete up, and obviously, coming from a loss the other night against Florida, we've got to be hungry, start off strong, and take it to them early."
"They're a very good structured team," added Veleno. "They got some players that can put the puck in the net. They create a lot off the rush and off their forecheck, and we just gotta limit their chances."
Head coach Derek Lalonde pointed to the opening sequence of last Saturday's game as an illustration of a "disappointing" and "not competitive" effort in Boston:
"It's a small little microcosm of the game. We win the [opening] face-off in Boston. We turn the puck over at the blue line. They take the turnover, and their 50 goal scorer [David Pastrnak] chips a puck in the corner and forechecks, and they spent 40 seconds in our zone. That's a tone setter."
That divergence—Detroit's turnovers at the offensive blue line compared to Boston's ability to leverage its forecheck into a territorial advantage—went a long way toward deciding last Saturday's game. That Pastrnak, as gifted an attacking player as there is the NHL, was the one willing to dump a puck in reflects what DeBrincat said about the Bruins' commitment to their identity.
For the Red Wings to redeem themselves after last Saturday, it will take a similar willingness to get pucks behind the Boston defense and get to work on the forecheck to flip last Saturday's result.
Starting Fast
A repeated point of emphasis from the Red Wings' recent run of four losses in their last five games has been the need to get out to better starts. Detroit has found itself in the position of chasing games in all five of those games—even the win over the Islanders.
When asked what goes into getting out of the gate the right way, Lalonde said "Just simplifying your game I think. Obviously, not taking a penalty and having their top guys roll out after 90 seconds...I just think simple and probably that field position game a little bit." That "field position" game refers to a willingness to dump pucks in, rather than prioritizing playmaking and possession.
Alex DeBrincat offered a slightly different perspective. "A 60-minute game, a lot of teams may come out strong and then get a lull in the second period or whatever it might be," the winger told The Hockey News. "I think it's just more about playing a full 60 minutes than anything. A good start is great, and a fast start is great—kinda makes it easier to play a full 60. But, it's not necessarily the only thing that matters. You gotta be focused from the start and have that whole mentality the whole game."
Personnel
Fourth line winger Christian Fischer is a game-time decision for tonight's game. If he is unable to go, expect Detroit to roll with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. If not, look for the more familiar 12 and six, with some light tinkering among the forward lines.
Walman and Lalonde on Neck Protection
Last weekend, Adam Johnson—a former Pittsburgh Penguin and AHL veteran—tragically passed away after being cut in a freak accident by a skate blade while playing for the Nottingham Panthers in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League.
The tragedy has spurred an uptick in NHL players like the Washington Capitals' T.J. Oshie (whose hockey apparel company Warroad sells undershirts with wrist and throat protection in mind) wearing neck/throat protection.
At yesterday's practice, Jake Walman became the first Red Wing to don that extra piece of protective equipment.
When asked after that practice about his choice, Walman was emotional: "Well, first off, obviously it's a tough subject. I want to say that I feel for his family and everybody that knew him and played with them, so I hold a heavy heart for that. You never want to see somebody in your circle have an injury like that. But yeah, I mean, at the same time, this is just a game that we're playing. We're hockey players, but we're all human. And we all have people that care about us and we care about other people. And it's, I'm sure for a lot of players in our league, it'll be a choice that I'm sure a lot of guys will make. I just think there's a lot of more important things than a game and just thinking about everybody in making that decision."
"We all did it when we were kids," Walman added. "It's almost like playing in an outdoor game. You just have a little extra layer on." He said that he intends to experiment with a few different models and isn't yet certain whether he will wear one in tonight's game.
Derek Lalonde mentioned that he checked in with Walman about the decision, thinking of his own sons (15 and 17 years old) who both play AAA hockey. Neither son wears one yet, but Lalonde intends to change that imminently.
Where to Watch
Tonight's game (a 7:00 PM start) will once again be broadcast by Bally Sports Detroit—available on television or via streaming and BSD+. With that said, it has not been a banner week for streaming on Bally Sports, with outages throughout the week preventing fans from accessing the games they're paying to watch. For out of market fans, it will be on its familiar home—ESPN+ and Hulu.
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