Mike Babcock was none too pleased with the effort his Red Wings provided in Monday’s 5-2 loss in Boston.
Tonight at home versus the Devils, Babcock wants to avoid a repeat performance.
“The league’s about competition level,” he said, per MLive.com. “We can talk about systems and all those things. When you don’t win your battles on the wall, net front, you don’t win the races, you don’t win any games, so that’s the competitiveness you need to be successful. Boston was way better in that area than we were.”
With just two wins in their last nine, the Wings have fallen from first place in the Atlantic Division (and a 10-point playoff cushion) to third in the division (and a six-point cushion).
After hosting the Devils, Detroit hits the road for six straight games, starting Saturday in Vancouver.
The Wings have only played 15 away games this season, compared to 22 at Joe Louis Arena.