The Detroit Red Wings have lost nine of their past 11 games, squashing the momentum they had built from a previous hot streak. They’ve also given up five goals in each of the past three games, the worst of which came in their most recent setback Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
Dallas led 3-0 after the first two periods and held a 33-16 shot advantage. Detroit didn’t make things easy on goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who was essentially hung out to dry.
http://gty.im/1075275988
“Definitely not the effort we’re looking for,” Frans Nielsen said at American Airlines Center after the loss. “We came out and we had an OK first, a few chances at both ends. Nothing great. Then they get one and something just happens after that.
“It’s snowballing on us right now. It can’t get away from us like that.”
Head coach Jeff Blashill was quite candid, saying that his team’s effort (or lack thereof) meant that they didn’t deserve to win.
“We deserved to lose, 100 percent,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “They outplayed us, without question. They were faster than us all over the ice and I don’t think they are faster than us, so that’s the way we played. We have to be better than that.”
Heading into Monday night’s New Years Eve matchup at Little Caesars Arena against the Florida Panthers, the Red Wings know they need to stop the bleeding and start to dig themselves out of the hole they’re in.
“We’re in a situation we’ve lost a few here and we have to dig ourselves out of it,” Gustav Nyquist said. “It’s not good enough to show up for a period or something like that. We have to find a way here to win some games.
“You work hard. That’s how it starts. I think we do it for bits and pieces, but for some reason, we have a few good shifts and then follow that up with a couple bad ones. We get a little passive, maybe, instead of just keeping going and getting on them and forechecking.”
