Jeff Blashill 11-6-16

Too many players have regressed the past two seasons under Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT - The Detroit Red Wings have slipped into the playoffs each of the past four years, with late-season surges and help from other teams.

It is apparent, following their worst first half in a quarter-century, that is not going to happen this year.

The Red Wings (17-19-6) are in last place in the Atlantic Division, eight points behind third-place Ottawa for the final automatic playoff spot. Four clubs stand in between, making Detroit's task of reaching the postseason even more difficult.

A lot of hockey remains - 40 games. But history shows there is minimal movement in the standings the second half of the season, especially when you're in the cellar.

The Red Wings have come up short in virtually every facet of the game - offense, defense, goaltending, special teams and coaching.

Barring a turnaround that would border on miraculous, the Red Wings' 25-season playoff streak is destined to end.

How did they find themselves in this predicament? Here's how:

Struggling offense

The Red Wings rank 25th in goals per game (2.38) and have been shut out five times. Pavel Datsyuk returned to Russia and several players in the prime of their careers who were counted on to help pick up the slack haven't delivered.

Gustav Nyquist (five goals) and Tomas Tatar (nine goals) haven't been the same since combining for 56 goals in 2014-15. Justin Abdelkader, who scored 42 goals the previous two seasons combined, has just four goals in 24 games. Riley Sheahan has no goals in 40 games. Dylan Larkin (11 goals, five assists) hasn't progressed in his second season.

Putrid power play

The power play struggled much of last season, prompting the club to hire assistant coach John Torchetti to assume that responsibility from Pat Ferschweiler, who's still on staff. But it's even worse this season. It's last in the league (11.4 percent, compared to 18.8 percent in 2015-16) and particularly brutal on the road, where it failed to convert on 57 consecutive chances before Nyquist scored during a five-on-three Thursday in Dallas.

Much of the same personnel (minus Datsyuk) remains from the second-ranked power play of 2014-15 (plus key additions Frans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek), so it remains a mystery why they can't solve the problem. They struggle with entries. Once they're in the zone, they're often one-and-done, getting off a shot and failing to retrieve the puck before the opposition sends it down the ice. They don't shoot enough and miss the net too often when they do.

Defensive deficiencies

General manager Ken Holland didn't acquire a top-three puck-moving defenseman in the off-season, leaving the club essentially without a top-pair defenseman.

The closest they have is Danny DeKeyser, who is better suited for the second pairing. He has taken a step back after signing a six-year, $30 million pact, having posted a minus-15 rating after entering the season a plus-27 in his career.

The entire unit has been plagued by turnovers and bad decisions. Niklas Kronwall has struggled with knee issues the past two seasons and isn't as effective at either end of the ice. Jonathan Ericsson played better at the start but has since been mistake-prone.

Mike Green and Xavier Ouellet have been their most consistent defenders.

No. 1 goalie underachieving

Unable to upgrade their defense, and with their shortcomings on offense, the Red Wings needed excellent goaltending to have success. They got it from Jimmy Howard (1.96 goals-against average, .936 save percentage), but haven't supported him offensively (5-7-1).

Petr Mrazek, who they were counting on to bounce back after signing a two-year, $8 million contract, continues to be inconsistent. He has a 3.19 GAA and .893 save percentage and would be watching more games from the bench if not for Howard's knee injury.

Bad home record

The Red Wings aren't closing out Joe Louis Arena in style. They are 7-10-3 in the building's final season. It's the worst home record in the East. Only Colorado (5-14-1) has fewer home wins.

They were in position to win several games but squandered third-period leads or allowed the go-ahead goal late in regulation.

Coaching not good enough

Most of the players regressed last season, Blashill's first as head coach. Many of them have continued trending down.

Much of that is on the player, but it's also the coaching staff's responsibility to maximize their ability by putting them in the best position to succeed. That hasn't happened, and it's puzzling considering Blashill had success with several of the same players (Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan, Tomas Jurco, Mrazek) in Grand Rapids, particularly during the Griffins' Calder Cup championship run in 2013.

Injuries limit Blashill's personnel options, but Sheahan should have been sat long ago and Andreas Athanasiou, despite his defensive issues and competitive lapses, should have had a more prominent role (top six, power play, ice time) sooner because of his ability to create offense.

The Red Wings play five of their next seven at home before the All-Star break, starting Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Help isn't coming through a trade or from Grand Rapids. If the Red Wings are to turn things around, it's up to the players on their roster to get it done.

The cost of acquiring a top-four defenseman or goal-scoring winger is high and the Red Wings' potential trade chips (Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan, Jurco) don't have much value. The club isn't likely to move any of its top, young players or prospects - or a first-round pick that could be in the top five - since one deal isn't apt to impact their fortunes significantly.