The Detroit Red Wings had a good thing going. The team was winning games, and rookies were playing well and contributing to wins. The power play and penalty kill were both top 10 in the NHL. The past three games (three straight losses) are due to a few issues, the largest being the teams power play, which has suddenly be non extant.  What are the underlying issues that have hampered the special teams unit’s early-season success, and how does Detroit make corrections? Here are some root causes.

For starters, the Red Wings power play has had a difficult time winning faceoffs, entering the zone cleanly, and net front scoring.  One more noteworthy observation is that the team is too pass-happy and not focusing on shooting the puck. So how does this all get fixed? That is going to be a work in progress.

If the team improves on power play faceoffs, then entering the zone becomes cleaner, and the two sort of feed off of each other. Net presence just from the eye shows that players are not causing enough of an issue for opposing goalies. This can be corrected by better positioning.

The pass-happy play must be kept to a minimum. The goal on the power play is to amass as many shots on goal in a two-minute or more penalty. With 44 power play opportunities so far this season, the Red Wings are generating about 3.14 shots per game. The pass happy power play has been a source of contention for players and coaches. Players need to be a bit more selfish and take shots and pass less.

If Todd McLellan and his staff can get the power play back on track, that would go a long way in helping the offense, which has seen a significant dip in goal production with just four goals in the past four games. Which area should be the first focal point to address? Faceoffs, if the team improves at taking hold of the puck, this would help zone entry. There is no need to worry or even think about net presence until the team can enter the zone with fewer issues and more authority.