Red Wings’ offensive woes continue in home-opener loss to Stars

By Michael Caples –

DETROIT – It may have been the home opener for the 2013 season, but the Red Wings took the ice Tuesday night as a club in need of some rest.

It showed on the final scoresheet, too; the Wings lost to the Dallas Stars by a score of 2-1 in their third game over four nights.

Coach Mike Babcock said that wasn’t an excuse for the loss, yet that a rushed training camp, no preseason games, and a jam-packed start to the season has taken its toll on his team.

“We knew just when the schedule came out, and I’m not trying to make excuses for anything, but you’ve played three games in four nights and you’ve had five days of training camp, that’s way different than having five weeks of training camp and then playing three games in four days,” Babcock said. “So, I thought we played like we were out of gas.”

The loss bumps the Red Wings’ record to 1-2-0 on the season.

“It’s still early, but we know also it’s a short season – we have to win games,” said captain Henrik Zetterberg. “We can’t win one and lose two. If we keep doing that, it won’t be fun here. I think parts of the games we did good stuff, but we just have to keep working hard, and we’ll get rewarded for it.”

Their lone win game Monday night in Columbus, thanks to a shootout goal from Damien Brunner. The new member of the Red Wings – signed as a 26-year-old free agent over the off-season and playing for the first time in the NHL – scored his first official NHL goal to break Keri Lehtonen’s shutout with three seconds remaining in regulation.

Michael Ryder scored the two goals for the Stars, while Lehtonen stopped 39 of the Wings’ 40 shots.

The Stars held the Wings scoreless on four power-play opportunities. Detroit has yet to score in 15 man-advantage situations this year.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard says more traffic in front of the opposition’s goaltender and more pucks on net will help the Wings’ offense break out of their early slump.

“Stick to it, not try and overdo anything,” Howard said. “Keep putting pucks on net, and I think we’ve got to do a little better getting a net-front presence and taking the goalie’s eyes away. If we do that…just keep putting [pucks] on net, then we can turn it around.”

Notes:

• Ian White left the game early, in what Babcock described as a cut on his leg. The Wings’ coach had no other information on the defenseman’s injury at his post-game press conference.
• Babcock also said that Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm are expected to return to the line-up for Friday’s game against Minnesota.
• After the game, the Wings reassigned Gustav Nyquist and Tom McCollum to Grand Rapids. Nyquist played for 11:42 Tuesday night, recording two shots and one giveaway in his lone appearance before the roster moves.