What the stats say about the Red Wings’ first 10 games vs. last season’s first 10

The Detroit Red Wings are off to one of their worst starts in recent history.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.

After falling 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, the Red Wings were 1-7-2 in their first 10 games of the 2018-19 season.

As a team, you always want to improve each year, but with a number of rookies in the starting lineup this season, we knew there was going to be some growing pains.

While the differences between last season’s team and this season’s team are pretty clear, let’s take a look at the stats from last year’s first 10 games and compare and contrast it to the first 10 games of this season.

Note: The stats in the chart below do not include the Red Wings’ 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Sunday night.

As you can see, (and as you probably already knew from watching the team this year) last year’s version performed better in every single category at 5 on 5. The Red Wings were 4-5-1 in their first 10 games, winning four of their first five before dropping five in a row.

The two biggest stats that jump out to me are GF% and Sh%. The Red Wings are getting absolutely manhandled at 5 on 5 this season, scoring just 11 goals and allowing 24 through the first 10 games. The 5.39 shooting percentage could be a sign of some unluckiness, as the league average at 5 on 5 is a little over 8 percent.

Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond are always talking about how snakebitten the Red Wings are, and with such a sizeable difference between GF% and xGF% — in addition to the eye test — I believe there is some truth to that.

However, the area the Red Wings have vastly improved this season is the power play,

Despite taking fewer shot attempts per 60 minutes than last year, they have scored four more 5 on 4 goals in about seven fewer minutes. Of course, the rate of shots getting through to the goalie is higher, as evidenced by the 51.21 shots for per 60.

All of this means the power-play percentage is higher (25 percent this season vs. 14.2 last season).

Dan Bylsma has improved the power play tremendously this season. Part of the recipe for success has been quick puck movement.

As you can see in the video below, watch how quickly the puck moves from stick to stick before Andreas Athanasiou blasts a one-timer for the Red Wings’ only goal against the Jets.

The Jets are chasing the puck the entire time and overcommit to the left side, leaving Athanasiou wide open on the right faceoff circle.

The Red Wings also cycle the puck behind the net, something I’ve advocated they do on a more consistent basis. In Athanasiou’s goal, it not only goes behind the net, but Dennis Cholowski makes a pass across the royal road, which has been tested as the best way to score on the power play.

Of course, Detroit still struggles with zone entries on the power play, but there is significant improvement in puck control and opening shooting lanes.

So what does all of this mean?

Well, the Red Wings have been a bit unlucky to begin the 2018-19 campaign, but I wouldn’t count on a huge turnaround. As a team, there are way too many flaws to make up for the lack of luck. The scoring should improve, but it won’t be enough to get out of the basement of the NHL standings.