The Detroit Red Wings can’t seem to finish games despite one of their goalies putting them in a prime position to win.
It’s hard to critique Daniil Tarasov, despite his 2-2-2 record through five starts and seven appearances. Tarasov has allowed fewer than three goals in five of his seven appearances and has posted a .930 save percentage, a 1.79 GAA, a shutout, and a .600 quality starts percentage.
To an extent, the Red Wings are helping him out, considering their solid defensive play. But their inability to finish at 5-on-5 is one reason Tarasov’s performances haven’t translated to more wins.
Per Hockey-Reference on Friday, Detroit is converting 7.6 percent of its shots on goal at 5-on-5, with 34.9 expected goals for (xGF), while scoring just 30 goals. Further, their power play isn’t able to remedy the situation.
Detroit is converting 22.81 percent of the time on the man advantage, and they have drawn 57 penalties. Both rank higher than the league average.
The problem? Given how poorly Detroit is playing at times in the offensive zone at 5-on-5, the power play would need to perform at an elite level. That isn’t happening, and Detroit has been wasting Tarasov’s stellar outings, including Thursday night’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Red Wings Can’t Get Consistent Offensively Despite Tarasov’s Efforts
17 games played marks 20 percent of the season, so trends get more prevalent. For the Red Wings? They are trending as a solid defensive team with 50 goals allowed (15th in the NHL) that still can’t figure out how to score. They have 47 goals overall, which ranks 22nd.
Given the way Tarasov has played and his improvement from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, chances are he will see more opportunities as November heats up. Should Tarasov keep putting up dominant performances, it will be on the Red Wings to get more consistent when they have the puck.
To be fair, injuries have struck Detroit’s forward group, and that has limited them. Defensively, other than Moritz Seider, Detroit is either aging or has too much youth and inexperience. That has also kept them from getting consistent play.
The result? The best goaltender on the team through the first 17 games’ efforts aren’t ending with two points. And that’s why Detroit is tied for last in the Atlantic with the Buffalo Sabres before the latter’s game on Friday evening.
Opportunities Calling For Detroit’s Youth To Step Up
While trends develop as the season wears on, it is still early, and the playoff races have hardly taken shape. It also isn’t like the youngest players on the team who haven’t done so yet can’t turn the corner.
That also means they need to step up sooner rather than later if Detroit is going to reward Tarasov for his efforts. The same would go for John Gibson if he starts playing the way he did between Dec. 2025 and Apr. 2026.
This is where Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, Anton Johansson, and William Wallinder can start playing more consistent hockey. It is also an opportunity for Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Raymond to turn it up another gear.
The above names are part of the young core in Detroit that has the potential to be in town for a while. Should they all elevate their games, then Tarasov and perhaps Gibson will see their efforts translate into wins and two-point increases in the standings. That would be a trend worth following.
Red Wings Goalie Posting Remarkable Numbers Amid Frustrating Results