GWhen you have significant injuries, it’s not the games where you play poorly that demoralize you. It’s the games where the effort is there and you cannot find a way to create a win. The Red Wings were not a disaster against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they never seemed close to winning.

Not many teams can overcome the loss of their top two centers and survive very long. Certainly the Red Wings cannot. Larkin has been involved in 28% of Detroit’s goals this season and Copp has contributed to 19%. That’s noteworthy for team that ranks 20th in the NHL in scoring.

“Pretty damn good effort by our group,” Todd McLellan said about the loss to Tampa Bay. “If we could take a goal back, it would be their power play goal. We misplayed that poorly, but we checked for our chances. We kept the game close, had to open it up a little bit right near the end of the game. And they capitalized but created enough opportunities to find probably more than one goal. I think if even Kaner’s empty net and hits the post. And at the other end, their goals were created. They had some real good chances too, but their goals were created off bounces off pads. That happens sometimes.”

Detroit is now 5-12 in its last 17 games without Larkin. That dates to 2023-24.

With the injuries, J.T. Compher and Marco Kasper have expanded roles, and journeyman center Sheldon Dries has slotted into the bottom six. The Michigan native had 11 goals for the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23.

“I thought Sheldon did a real good job,” McLellan said. “He’s quick. You can see he’s a darter on the ice, responsible defensively, created some turnovers. We’re lucky to have him with the situation we’re in right now, the depth in our organization, not only with the injuries here in Detroit, but also the injuries in Grand Rapids down the middle. It’s getting tested. Thought he gave us a good game.”

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Will Detroit defenseman prospect Anton Johansson be back in Grand Rapids soon?

Former Red Wings prospect Dimitri Buchelnikov is staying in KHL another season.

Red Wings Extra

The Detroit Red Wings return of John Leonard, Eduards Tralmaks and Austin Watson to the Grand Rapids Griffins Friday couldn’t come at a better time. The Griffins play three games in three nights starting tonight with a 7 p.m. game against the Milwaukee Admirals.

The Griffins (43-9-3-1) are having a record-setting season. But lately, their competitiveness has been tested by medical issues, by both the Griffins’ and Red Wings injuries. When center Andrew Copp went down, the Red Wings called up Sheldon Dries to fill one of their center spots.  He is Grand Rapids’ third-leading scorer with 20 goals and 37 points. That’s important because the Red Wings recently recalled Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. He also shows 37 points, but is technically fourth because he only has 16 goals.

At the trade deadline, the Red Wings moved defenseman Justin Holl to St. Louis is the Justin Faulk deal. While Holl wasn’t in Detroit’s plans anymore, he had been a valuable defenseman for the Griffins.

One reason why the call-ups have been more painful than usual is that Grand Rapids’ fifth-leading scorer Amadeus Lombardi is currently sidelined with injury. That’s also true of Nate Danielson who has an impressive scoring rate of 15 points in 18 games.  The Griffins expect him back soon, maybe this weekend.

The uncertainty of the Griffins’ roster isn’t unusual. It comes with being an AHL affiliate team, but it stings more because the Griffins had one of the best-performing teams in AHL. But the Griffins were running out of forwards. That’s why it helps greatly that leading scorer Leonard is back. The Red Wings made a minor-league deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, trading defenseman Ian Mitchell for forwards Michael Milne (defensive specialist) and Wojciech Stachowiak (nine goals, 17 points in 37 games for Syracuse).

The Griffins also signed forwards William Dufour, Brandon Hawkins and Jackson Jutting to professional tryouts. In addition, the Griffins recalled former University of Michigan defenseman Jacob Truscott from the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.

 Hockey Now Digest

Colorado: Coach Jared Bednar is exploring playing Nazem Kadri with Artturi Lehkonen when everyone is healthy. Colorado Avalanche.

Montreal: Marc Dumont looks into the Habs’ improved production. Is there anything the Red Wings can take from it? Montreal Canadiens. 

New Jersey: James Nichols addresses Jack Hughes frustration over what is happening with the New Jersey Devils. 

Philadelphia: William James looks at NCAA free agents that the Flyers should target. Philadelphia Flyers. 

San Jose: Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic does his former Red Wings teammates a favor by beating the Boston Bruins. s