How Confident Are You in the Red Wings' Goaltending? Detroit, MI—Two minutes and 23 seconds into the Detroit Red Wings' 2-0 home loss to the Florida Panthers, Detroit went short-handed for the first of five times on the evening via a Klim Kostin hook. On the ensuing power play, with a chance to relieve pressure, Andrew Copp's stick broke on what looked to be a sure clearance. Copp tried to glove the puck to safety, but the Panthers kept it alive and earned a few more quality looks at James Reimer's net. Nothing from that volley bested Reimer, but the miscue set the tone for a frustrating night for Detroit. Nov 2, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer (47) makes a save on Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) in the third period at Little Caesars Arena. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxOTQyNjA2NTQyODA4NTgz/usatsi_21801931.jpg] Nov 2, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer (47) makes a save on Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) in the third period at Little Caesars Arena. Beyond Copp's stick letting him down, Florida earned the game's first nine shots on goal, with the Red Wings' first test of Sergei Bobrovsky not coming until the period's midpoint. During a Detroit power play in the second period, Shayne Gostisbehere was forced to chip the puck out of his own zone because of the Panthers' short-handed pressure—sending murmurs of discontent through Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings would finish the night 0-5 on the man advantage against a penalty killing unit that began the night ranked last in the NHL. The shot that finally gave Florida the lead went straight into Reimer's glove, only to bounce off the cross bar, then off Reimer's back, and into the net in the final minute of the second. Early in the third, Michael Rasmussen had a wide-open net to shoot at after a point shot took a lively carom off the end boards. Rasmussen's ensuing shot struck the goal post and bounced to safety. "A lazy stick penalty, and they probably win the period, even though we come out of the period 0-0," said coach Derek Lalonde in his post-game press conference of the game's start. "Reimer was probably the difference, but [it's] just giving them the early and then just not getting momentum." "At five-on-five, they were dominating us on face-offs, and entries weren't great," said captain Dylan Larkin. "But we did get the zone a few times and just didn't execute. We bobbled pucks at key times and forced it at key times, and we just didn't get the ones that we needed. On the power play, we needed one bad, needed to get one back. The sense of urgency has to be better from the first power play to the last power play." After a scoreless first, each side was whistled for three minor penalties in the second, but neither power play could capitalize on its opportunities. As the second waned into its closing minutes, the Red Wings were perhaps pushing toward a bit of momentum. "I liked our second," said Lalonde. "I really thought we were doing some good things five-on-five, but we just couldn't get to a five-on-five game." Then, in the period's final minute, a shot that appeared harmless—fired off the rush from outside and beyond the face-off dot to Reimer's net—turned into Steven Lorentz' first goal as a Panther thanks to a Keystone Cops sequence of bounces. It was a puck that Reimer—who as Lalonde said had been excellent for the Red Wings in the first—needed to stop to keep Detroit afloat. Instead, Florida returned to its dressing room for the second intermission armed with both momentum and 1-0 lead. In the third, the Panthers were able to strangle the game. They slowed down the pace and managed to simultaneously apply pressure on the forecheck and stymy any semblance of transition offense for the Red Wings. "Every time they went back for pucks, they were flipping pucks and rimming pucks and skating onto them, and it made it hard to get anything going in their zone," assessed Larkin. "When we did, they're really good at fronting pucks and knocking them down and flying. We gotta find better ways to get pucks through, and that was a big emphasis for us tonight. I don't think we didn't enough of it." Florida held its hosts to just seven shots on goal in game's final frame. With the clock reading 1:40 to play, Lalonde lifted Reimer for an extra attacker, but this did little to tilt play in Detroit's favor. Dmitry Kulikov's bid to ice the game from the neutral zone sailed wide, but Anton Lundell retrieved the rebound and passed to Matthew Tkachuk. With three Red Wings pressuring him, Tkachuk somehow managed to keep the play alive and return the puck to Lundell, who finished the effort Kulikov started. Thanks to Lundell, the game was all but over—Florida leading 2-0 with 1:12 to play. For Detroit, it was a disappointing performance following the emotional high of Monday's come-from-behind victory over the Islanders. There is no shame in dropping points to the reigning Eastern Conference champions, who are now winners of five of their last seven games, but there is an undeniable sting to being shut out on home ice. Still, if Reimer had managed to squeeze a low-danger wrist shot from Lorentz late in the second, it may well have proved a much different third, and the Red Wings weren't far off from at least a point on the evening. Nonetheless, it's become clear that the Red Wings need to find new sources of offensive threat beyond rush chances and the power play. Much like against Boston, Florida's forecheck and transition defense provided control over the game, and without the power play pitching in to pick up that slack, Detroit looked out of answers. It's not an insurmountable problem amidst what remains an encouraging start to the season, but it's one that needs to be sorted out soon. With the loss, the Red Wings fall to 6-4-1 on the season. Detroit will return to action Saturday night for a home date with the Boston Bruins.
