that was the red wings' most complete victory in a while.
as noted, if theyre going to win it will be with depth and that's how theyre winning. strong forward play defensively and collective offense. theyre turning teams over on the forecheck and getting the puck back. they can get the puck out of their own zone much better than in previous years.
pittsburgh and ottawa coming up will be good measuring sticks. different teams than new jersey for sure.
the other promising sign is the top line. larkin-debrincat-raymond has been a solid first line with debrincat playing really well. how a line with debrincat and raymond holds up against a bigger forechecking team on the road remains to be seen. they might need to break that up with a bigger forward at times.
the defense is still a work in progress but gothisbere and holl have been decent so far. mistakes have been from maata, seider, and (of course) chairot. given their age, i expect some injuries and to see lots of edvinsson at some point this year.
or to see him traded for a star...