Apr 8, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings center Vladislav Namestnikov (92) and Nashville Predators center Yakov Trenin (13) fight for position with in front of goaltender Juuse Saros (74) in the second period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Red Wings gorged on defense during the final six weeks of the 2020-21 season.
But there were some early-season stretches, caused by injuries, COVID-19 concerns, underachieving veterans (Anthony Mantha) and underperforming prospects (Mathias Brome …) that made the opening two months tough to digest at times.
While even elite teams endure a few “bad” games each season, these three collective efforts were true Red Wings lowlights: