The Detroit Red Wings weren’t able to carry any momentum from their win in Colorado. Thus, the team fell 4-1 to the Utah Mammoth with no chance of redemption for three weeks. However, the team’s strong first 58 games has kept them in contention for a playoff spot.
Detroit is seated at third in the Atlantic Division, tied with the Montreal Canadiens at 72 points. Even so, the competitive Eastern Conference is going to be a daunting climb for playoff bound teams. Some pundits have estimated that 98 points could be the cutoff for the post season this year.
Detroit would have to play better than .500 hockey for their final 24 games. That sounds reasonable, however it’s a feat the team hasn’t accomplished since 2016. Interestingly, that was the last time Detroit was figured into post season play. Therefore, the Red Wings will need to play their best hockey in nearly a decade to avoid a tenth straight playoff miss.
The Red Wings are historically bad at season’s end
The Red Wings have a habit of falling off in the final stretch. Last year’s return from the 4 Nations Tournament was disastrous. The team went 9-13-2, grabbing just 20 of 48 available points. Accordingly, the Red Wings found themselves on the outside looking in once again.
The Red Wings’ highest point total in the past 9 years in this stretch is 23 points. They eclipsed that mark three times, however it may not be enough if they can match that performance. For the past three seasons, that would have gotten them in. However, this year is a much different story in the league’s most competitive division.
The Atlantic Division captured both wild card spots least season, and currently hold both now. However, Columbus and Washington are both just 4 points outside of the picture. If the Atlantic loses one of those spots, the battle to play past game 82 is going to be fierce. Still, Detroit has their best point total to date since 2015 when the team finished the season with 100 points. This group has a chance, but nothing is guaranteed.
The Olympic Games will have a huge impact
Detroit’s success is going to be tied to the health of their top players. Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin are all on Olympic rosters this year. The games will be the fastest in history, as the rink is the smallest it’s ever been for the international competition. Due to a construction error, the rink is even smaller than the NHL’s 200 x 85 dimensions by about 5 or 6 feet.
Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond were not the same players after last year’s 4 Nations return. Their fall off in play was simply too much for the team to overcome. Moritz Seider, however, has been the team’s iron man for five seasons. Seider has yet to miss a game in his career, and carries the heaviest load defensively.
Simon Edvinsson’s loss to injury has had a huge impact on Detroit. Thus, the three week break could bode well for the team as he rehabilitates an undisclosed issue. If Edvinsson is ready to go and Seider is healthy, Detroit has a chance. However, if either or both of those players are unavailable, the outlook is bleak. Fans will have to wait for 20 days until Detroit hits the ice again. With any luck, they will get back into the win column on their path to the post season.
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