DeBrincat: Red Wings Should be Embarassed to Miss Playoffs Again

“Overall, I think we played good hockey for three-fourths of the season and put ourselves in a great spot,” DeBrincat said. “We came to the rink ready to play and confident we could beat any team in the league for a long time.

“And that kind of slipped. I don’t know exactly when it slipped or what happened, but then you see the mental side of the game come in. We feel defeated, and you can see it.”

Red Wings Lost Their Way

DeBrincat thinks that the Red Wings simply lost their way when the games mattered the most. And until they change that part of their DNA, they can’t expect to change the season outcome in the future.

“We need to find a way to work hard every game to the end of the season,” DeBrincat said.

He pointed to the season-ending 8-1 drubbing at Florida as his low point as a Red Wings player.

“I think our last game was probably one of the most embarrassing games I’ve played in myself,” DeBrincat said. “It seems like we weren’t working hard. I know it didn’t mean anything, but you could kind of see that creep into our game the last bit there.”

Teammates Share DeBrincat’s Emotions and Concerns

DeBrincat isn’t the only Detroit player who feels that way about how they finished the 2025-26 NHL season.

“I think this team’s better than some teams that are in the playoffs,” Red Wings forward Patrick Kane stated flatly. “I definitely think we underachieved. You can say that.

“I think about the position we were in coming into the end of the season. Everyone’s very frustrated by it and somewhat embarrassed.”

Seeing other teams participate in the playoffs is a galling sensation for Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot.

“It sucks sitting at home watching,” Chiarot said. “You feel like you didn’t do your job to a good enough level to be part of that, because we didn’t this year.

“At least not the last six, seven weeks.”

Chiarot doesn’t think desire is an issue in the Detroit dressing room. But he also noted that the facts speak for themselves. Once again, the fact is that the Red Wings missed the playoffs.

“I think we have a lot of good players in our room and guys that honestly want to do well and make the playoffs and push the team into the playoffs,” Chiarot said. “But we weren’t getting it done.

“And that’s clear with where we’re sitting today. “

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