Skip to content

Special teams proving to be difference maker in Bruins-Red Wings series

Greg M. Cooper / USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins have combined for six goals through two games of their first-round series, and special teams have proven to be a major factor, especially in Game 2.

Small sample size aside, here's a look at special teams success so far in the series, and how the two sides performed during the regular season.

Bruins Stat Red Wings
5 Power Plays 6
12 Power Play - Shots 2
2 Power Play - Goals 0
40% Success Rate 0%
21.7% Reg. Season PP% 17.7%
83.6% Reg. Season PK% 83%

What is most staggering about these numbers is that the Red Wings have put the puck on net just twice in six power-play opportunities, or the equivalent to the number of actual goals Boston has scored with the man advantage (registered by Zdeno Chara and Reilly Smith in Game 2).

Head coach Mike Babcock, however, has been around the block enough times to know when to make adjustments.

"I've been here nine years, we've done this nine times, you go through it each and every year,” Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. “You get in a series and you adjust and keep going. For our team to be effective, we have to do exactly what we do."

The Red Wings will be without two of their top power-play scorers from the regular season, as Daniel Alfredsson and Henrik Zetterberg are both out with back issues. Niklas Kronwall will be tasked with jump-starting the attack after leading the team with 25 points with the man advantage.

One would expect the numbers to begin to reflect the regular season output as the series goes on, but an extended dry spell could mean trouble for the Red Wings sooner than later.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox