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Red Wings Patrick Kane gets called out by his teammates for embarrassing play

Published December 22, 2023 at 11:53
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In the aftermath of Dylan Larkin's return from a recent injury, the Detroit Red Wings find themselves grappling with a troubling losing streak, having suffered seven setbacks in their last eight games.

Their most recent defeat unfolded in Winnipeg, where they faced a 5-2 loss against the Jets, marked by a series of unfortunate odd-man rushes.

Larkin openly acknowledged the team's struggles, emphasizing the evident disconnect during this frustrating skid.

He pointed out the horrible defensive performance from their forwards as key contributors to their recent woes of losing.


«We're trying, but it's not clicking right now,» Larkin said. «The offense isn't clicking, and you can't win hockey games playing defense like that. We just defended so poorly.»

'We' who Larkin speaks of is Detroit's top line of Patrick Kane, Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat. While Patrick Kane isn't known for his defensive abilities, he has sure been struggling on the back end, and it's reached a boiling point for Larkin as the team has lost 7 out of 8 games since Kane arrived.

Larkin called out another notable concern, that's been the team's defensive zone coverage, creating vulnerabilities that opponents have successfully exploited. Despite experimenting with various line combinations and coaching adjustments, the Red Wings have struggled to ignite their offence as well.

«We've really tried everything in the past couple of weeks – different line combinations, different coaching,» shared Larkin. «But it's gotta come from within the room. Every guy's gotta be better," Larkin asserted. "Tonight it was glaringly obvious that every guy needs to step up."

A prime example of Kane's lackluster coverage and 'pretend' effort can be seen in the clip below, as he loses his man and allows a shorthanded breakaway goal:


Looking ahead, the Red Wings are determined to shift the narrative at Little Caesars Arena, seeking redemption against the Philadelphia Flyers.
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December 22   |   476 answers
Red Wings Patrick Kane gets called out by his teammates for embarrassing play

Do you think Patrick Kane is to blame for the Red Wings' horrible losing streak?

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