My Three Thoughts on Red Wings-Lightning

Detroit opened at home with a measuring-stick opponent.

DETROIT — This was the type of game the Detroit Red Wings needed to win.

As silly as that may sound for the second game of an 82-game schedule.

If the Red Wings are serious about getting over the playoff cut line in the Eastern Conference, which was 92 points last season, they’ll have to win games like the one they won 6-4 on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

They outplayed the Lightning, took advantage of poor goaltending on the other side, and salvaged a victory even when Tampa Bay’s top players gave us a reminder of how every game, no matter the score, the Lightning are never out of a game.

This was especially important for Detroit after they lost Game 1 of the season in New Jersey when they probably deserved to win.

Getting to 92-ish points, maybe even more, is going to require avoiding losing streaks, and proving Detroit proving it can actually have the results to match the effort it gives against conference heavyweights.

Again, none of this is rocket science or brain surgery, or whatever cliche you prefer.

But for the home opener, against a team Detroit uses as a measuring stick, they delivered.

Crowd was also pretty good to, according my Apple Watch at one point I was in danger of temporarily losing my hearing in the press box.

Anywho, the following are some of my additional thoughts after the game.

1. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde has made sure to apply pressure of expectation to Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat.

If the duo are going to play together on a line, they need to control the flow of the ice and they need to be game breakers.