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MONTREAL, CANADA – OCTOBER 10: Jacob Fowler #32 of the Montréal Canadiens makes a save on Andrew Copp #18 of the Detroit Red Wings during the third period at the Bell Centre on October 10, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
The Detroit Red Wings have generated little offense throughout their first five games. But it’s not because they haven’t created chances.
The Red Wings are putting plenty of pucks on net. They’re just not putting many pucks in. Detroit is tied for eighth in the league heading into Tuesday with 164 shots on goal, good for 32.8 per game.
Via Ansar Khan of MLive, the Red Wings’ 32.8 average “…ranks third in the league, but have scored only 2.00 goals per game, which is tied for 28th.”
It’s worth reiterating that half the Red Wings’ goals came in their 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators last Tuesday. Take out the Ottawa game, and Detroit has five goals in its other four contests. In two of those games, the Red Wings failed to score.
Todd McLellan Identifies What The Red Wings’ Shot Total Is Missing
Head coach Todd McLellan also voiced his frustration. Regarding the Red Wings’ high-shooting, low-scoring volume, McLellan said, “I believe in volume shooting, but I also believe in scoring. At some point the volume shooting has to turn into goals.”
McLellan went on to say, “With the shots we’re taking, especially from the blue line, I still think we can do a better job of getting through the goaltender’s eyes. There’s times where we’re off on the side a little too much. I feel like when we shot the puck and got it back, then we broke some teams down.”
This is why shot volume can be misleading. If the goalie sees the puck cleanly and Detroit isn’t creating enough traffic, rebounds, or second opportunities, a 32+ shot night will produce almost nothing.
It’s not that Detroit can’t finish. The Red Wings haven’t put themselves in a good enough position to finish consistently in any of their first five games.
Detroit’s Top Scorers Haven’t Broken Through
Here is a chilling revelation: Not a single Red Wings player has scored more than one goal at even strength. Viktor Arvidsson leads the team with three goals, but they all came on the power play. Alex DeBrincat has scored twice, but only one goal came at even strength. Through five games, only seven different players have scored.
Lucas Raymond has four assists, though he has yet to find the back of the net. Raymond has transformed into a reliable scorer in the NHL, and chances were that he would take his scoring up another notch if he shot the puck more. Raymond’s shot totals have gone up, with 17 in five games. Still, he has come up empty.
Dylan Larkin is another one worth watching for as long as he’s in a Red Wings uniform. Larkin has scored 30+ goals in each of his past five seasons. He will be a pivotal part of getting Detroit’s scoring back on track.
Devils Give Red Wings An Immediate Chance To Change The Numbers
The Red Wings take on the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. New Jersey is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Senators on Monday and is entering Tuesday’s matchup in the second half of a back-to-back.
The Devils outshot Ottawa 30-20 on Monday night, and they have experienced similar problems as the Red Wings. They create volume, but not enough goals.
If Detroit can take McLellan’s words in stride and create more chaos in front of the net, get rebounds, and give themselves multiple chances, this game can end in their favor.
Todd Matthews Todd Matthews is a veteran sportswriter with years of experience covering the NHL, NFL, and other major sports. His background includes team-specific coverage, breaking news, analysis, roster developments, player trends, and league-wide storylines. He joined Heavy in 2026 and previously wrote for FanSided. More about Todd Matthews