Red Wings’ Torched by Buffalo: Blame the defense

The Detroit Red Wings showed no defensive energy again. And it resulted in a horrifying 8-3 Halloween loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic took the loss but got very little support from teammates. He faced 46 shots and was under the gun during 12 minute of Sabre’s power play.

Do not blame Nedeljkovic for this loss.

Captain Dylan Larkin isn’t.  He felt bad for giving Nedeljkovic poor defensive support.

“Absolutely, we left him out too dry. We didn’t show up from the start of the game”. said Larkin, who scored a shorthanded goal in the third period, that brought Detroit within one before Buffalo would go on to score four unanswered goals.

“We didn’t give him a chance, that’s how you give up eight. Easy Offense.” Coach Derek Lalonde said. “We spent too much time in the box. We gave their high-end elite-skill easy offense”.

What Adjustments Can be Made Defensively for the Red Wings?

Detroit’s defense has certainly had some ups and downs through nine games. What adjustments can be made moving forward?

It might be time to break up the top defensive pairing.

Calder Winner Moritz Seider is off to a slow start. However, he won’t be this sluggish for long.  A change is needed. Mo’ has been paired with new addition Ben Chiarot. They have shown flashes of greatness, but it might be best to split them up because of lack of depth on the defensive unit.

The offensive emergence of Oilli Maatta, who is off to the best start of his career, may be something to keep an eye on. Maatta’s unique style could bring the best out of Mo if they become a unit.

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