The Detroit Red Wings began their 2023-24 NHL season on the road against the New Jersey Devils. The game began in Detroit's favor. Detroit enjoyed the majority of the scoring chances in the first period and essentially controlled the game. However, the Red Wings could not maintain that level of play, losing 4-3.

There were positives to take away from the loss. Detroit's top defensive pairing of Jake Walman and Moritz Seider had an incredible game. Star trade acquisition Alex DeBrincat scored his first goal for the team, as well. But head coach Derek Lalonde knows they have things to clean up. And he didn't mince words when reflected on Thursday's game.

“A little reflection, and I don’t mind saying this, we’re not good enough for the few mistakes we had throughout that game,” Lalonde said, via the team's official website. “Very frustrating game to watch back because we probably warranted a point in most of our performance, but we didn’t.”

The Red Wings opened the scoring when a loose puck glanced off Daniel Sprong and found its way past Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek. However, Devils star Jack Hughes scored two goals to give New Jersey the lead. While DeBrincat tied it in the third, New Jersey went on to score another two goals to pull away for good.

The Red Wings are hoping to push for a playoff spot in 2023-24. If they are going to sneak in, they'll need to steal points from legitimate Stanley Cup contenders like the Devils. “We just need to figure out a way to win these games,” said goalie Ville Husso, via the team's official website.

The Red Wings will look to win their first game of the season on Saturday. Detroit will play their home opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with the game beginning around 7 PM Eastern Time.