To beat an Anaheim Ducks team with tremendous scoring depth, the Detroit Red Wings need some of their role players to make a strong impact offensively in the first round.
Through the first four games of the playoffs, the Red Wings offense has been bolstered by the production from rookie forwards Damien Brunner and Gustav Nyquist.
Each of these young forwards have scored overtime winners in this series (Nyquist in Game 2, Brunner in Game 4), and their scoring has lessened the pressure on star players such as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to carry the team offensively.
With four points (two goals, two assists), Brunner leads Detroit in playoff scoring, while Nyquist is one of eight Red Wings players with at least two points through four games.
As the chart below shows, when these two forwards play well and generate scoring chances, the Red Wings are a much more difficult team to beat. When they fail to contribute offensively, Detroit is far less successful.
In the Red Wings' 4-3 overtime victory on Monday, Brunner scored the game-winner off a rebound that was created by a breakaway chance from Nyquist (watch here). They combined for two points on the night.
If Brunner and Nyquist are able to provide some much-needed depth scoring for the rest of this series, the Red Wings will have a strong chance to pull of an upset and reach the second round.
Brunner is also an unrestricted free agent this summer, so you can bet that he's highly motivated to impress general managers during the playoffs in order to maximize his value during the offseason.
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