Detroit Red Wings: Observations from first Red vs White scrimmage

Here are some observations from the Detroit Red Wings first Red versus White scrimmage of training camp!

As the Detroit Red Wings continue to press on through training camp, fans got a nice treat as the organization had its first Red versus White scrimmage, which was live-streamed on the team’s website.

It was the first time the Red Wings had been on ice in a “game” as a “team” since March, even if they were split up into two different teams. They would play three periods, a five-minute three-on-three overtime period, and leave some time for an extensive shootout to close it out.

Team Red would ultimately take home the victory over Team White. The rosters can be found here in a tweet from the Detroit Red Wings. The game itself ended in a 3-3 tie; after overtime, it was 4-3 in favor of Team Red. Shootout goals from Tyler Bertuzzi (Red), Anthony Mantha (Red), and Mathias Bromé (White) would make it a 6-4 final in favor of Team Red.

Enough about the game itself, here are some quick observations from the Red v White scrimmage!

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The pace was inconsistent. Both teams had players who seemed very sluggish and others flying around like a bat out of hell trying to make something happen.

The inconsistency in pace/flow led to some lapses. After all, it was the first time these guys had been together on lines in a game-like environment in quite some time.

By the time the third period rolled around a shift from Dylan Larkin‘s top line with Bertuzzi and  Mantha, a switch flipped, and the three started to dial it in.

The intensity rose, and two third period goals, including a nice bury by Vladislav Namestnikov on a redirect from a Mantha shot, helped get the players going.

3-on-3 was exciting; even for being the first game, the lapses on defense turned into scoring chances for the other group. The hope should be to clean the defense up, so that type of stuff is not happening in the regular season.

However, the goalies were pretty sound and made good saves when asked too later in the game. Both Jonathan Bernier and Thomas Greiss each played the full game for their respective teams.

It seemed like Larkin’s top line was the most productive of both teams. Rasmussen and Smith together was an interesting combo with the two, sort of, switching off net-front duties while the other was the slot forward who would ultimately crash on any scoring chance. It created some chaos for Team White defenders, so that could be something to keep an eye on.

Defensively, there were some miscues, something that needs to be cleaned up before January 14th, when the team takes the ice against Carolina to open up the 2020-21 season. But for the first scrimmage of a short and rushed training camp, not bad. It was great to see Red Wings hockey once again, even for a scrimmage.

Injury Report

Early on, forward Luke Glendening left the ice after taking a puck to the face, but he would return after getting a bloody nose taken care of. Forward Turner Elson left the ice with the help of Team Red players after being in visible pain with what looked like an ankle or leg injury. He did not return.

Lastly, forward Evgeni Svechnikov took a hit and seemingly landed awkwardly against the boards late in the game. He would exit the game with what appeared to be a right-arm or elbow injury. He also did not return.

The Detroit Red Wings will be off tomorrow and hit the ice again on Thursday as training camp continues!