Seider Drops the Gloves With Landeskog as Red Wings Fall 4-0 in Colorado

Detroit got shut out in Colorado, but Moritz Seider made sure the Red Wings didn't leave without some heat. The 4-0 loss to the Avalanche was tough to watch on the scoreboard. Seider's night was more memorable than that.

Two Roughing Penalties, One Real Fight

The second period got physical first. Seider and Nazem Kadri both took roughing minors after an exchange that included punches. Then, early in the third, Seider went looking for a proper scrap with Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog. Both players dropped their gloves, and Seider landed some solid left hands and an uppercut before the tilt was broken up.

This was the third fight of Seider's NHL career. He had previously squared off with Nashville's Filip Forsberg and Boston's Mark Kastelic. That's a short list for a defenseman who plays as many minutes as he does, and it tells you how selective he's been about when to answer.

Why Seider Fights Less Than You'd Expect

Nobody in the Detroit room, and certainly nobody behind the bench, wants Seider spending time in the penalty box for scraps. He logs more ice time than any Red Wings skater who isn't a goaltender, and his impact on both ends is hard to quantify because so much of it shows up in situations that never make the highlight reel. Losing him for a suspension or an injury-related absence would be a real problem for the group.

That's the tension, and it's one Seider seems to manage with intent. He's now the leader of this Detroit group, and his teammates understand that he'll drop the gloves when he feels the moment calls for it. The fight didn't come from frustration with the scoreboard, though. It looked more like a player deciding the team needed some energy after a tough stretch of play.

Seider was candid about how it went. "I think he just surprised me and had his gloves dropped already," he said. "After all that, I think maybe it would give us a push. But it went the other way."

The Penalty Kill Keeps Costing Detroit

Seider's roughing minor put him in the box for two minutes, and Cale Makar made Detroit pay, scoring Colorado's third power-play goal of the night. For a team trying to stay in games against a strong opponent, giving up a man-advantage goal in a 4-0 game is a difficult way to lose ground.

Seider's frustration with the kill was clear. "For some reason we end up on the wrong side of things on the kill," he said. "It's a 4-0 game. I don't think it's just easy to say it's just creating offense. If we can replicate the first period against Colorado..." His point is that Detroit's first-period performance gave them a template to build on, and the penalty kill is where the night unraveled.

Prospects and Front-Office Watch

Forward Eddie Genborg is producing at a steady clip for Sweden at the Five Nations Tournament, and his scoring is worth tracking as he works toward a bigger role in the organization. Meanwhile, interim GM Shawn Horcoff faces what could be the most difficult assignment of his tenure. Detroit's current road trip also matters more than a single result, since the club needs to show it can win away from home while the standings tighten.

Griffins Let a 3-0 Lead Slip Away

The Grand Rapids Griffins' strong run hit a bump Saturday night. They built a 3-0 first-period lead over the Rockford IceHogs, then watched Chicago's AHL affiliate score five unanswered goals on the way to a 6-4 win. The collapse was hard to understand on paper, and it ended a nine-game points streak that had given the Griffins real momentum.

Dylan James continued to look sharp, scoring his fifth goal of the season in the opening period. He still finished minus-3 on the night, a reminder of how quickly a strong individual period can get swallowed by a bad stretch in the rest of the game. Noah Dower Nilsson extended his goal streak to four straight games, and Carter Bear added two assists. Those are the kinds of performances a team can build around, even when the final result stings.

The bigger question for Grand Rapids is composure. Leads of three goals in the first period should hold up more often than they didn't, and a young group that gives up a lead like this has to learn how to close games before it can rely on its finishing.

Around the League

The Chicago Blackhawks are reportedly active on multiple trade fronts, with several possibilities under consideration as they look to reshape their roster. In Pittsburgh, Dan Kingerski has examined realistic trade values for Penguins players and the teams that might make sense as landing spots. In San Jose, players are working to figure out what has gone wrong with the Sharks' power play, which has struggled to find its rhythm.

Seider's fight will get the headlines, but the bigger picture for Detroit is the penalty kill and the road results. If the Red Wings can clean up the special teams, the first period of this game shows they have the pieces to compete with Colorado.