Fighting for playoff lives, Red Wings need a win against Babcock's Maple Leafs
Coach Mike Babcock played a significant role in the building of the Detroit Red Wings’ 24 consecutive playoff seasons. Now he can play a part in ending that streak.
Here are five reasons why the Red Wings, currently outside of a playoff spot, have to beat Babcock (or else) Saturday night when they play Maple Leafs in Toronto (7 p.m. ET, NHL Network):
Their best bet: The clearest route to extending the streak is to keep pace with the Bruins and then beat them in a head-to-head match-up Thursday in Boston. The Red Wings are a point behind the Bruins entering tonight’s game. With four games left for both teams, a Detroit loss to the 29th-place Maple Leafs could be catastrophic to the its playoff hopes.
Quest for better ‘D’: The Red Wings played a solid defensive game Friday night in a 3-2 win against the Minnesota Wild. The Red Wings had given up three or more goals in five of their previous six outings. The Maple Leafs rank 28th in goals per game. The Red Wings need to shut them down to build on their defensive confidence.
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Howard back in saddle? Coach Jeff Blashill hasn’t said who will start in net, but there seems to be a good chance that Jimmy Howard will play back-to-back days. If he is given the start, and he plays well, he will be the Red Wings’ No. 1 the rest of the way. Petr Mrazek has lost his way, and the Red Wings are searching for consistency in net.
For Blashill’s sake: Detroit players have an affinity for Blashill. He coached many of the current Red Wings in the American Hockey League, and he won an AHL championship with some of them. The optics of the Red Wings’ streak ending in the season in which Blashill replaced Babcock would not sit well with the players. There is less tension between the players and Blashill than there was between Babcock and them. The current Red Wings want Blashill to look good. They will play with some added motivation.
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May not like the consequences: If the Red Wings' streak ends, general manager Ken Holland may take major steps to revamp this team. The conclusion may be that the young core group of players may not be strong enough, or deep enough, to keep the Red Wings’ winning tradition alive. The young players know what is going on. They have suddenly started to raise their games. Riley Sheahan has four goals in five games after scoring two in the previous 30. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist seem more energized. Is this too late? Or are they arriving just in the nick of time?