The Detroit Red Wings were spiraling after a recent three game losing streak. The home stand started with an overtime loss in a game where Patrick Kane made history. Detroit capped off the home stand with a 5-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Thus, it seemed likely that the losing streak would extend to four games heading into the game in Colorado. However, Detroit managed to put together their best team effort of the season and turned the tables.
Marco Kasper scored the game winning goal just 31 seconds into the opening period. That lone tally stood as the game’s only goal until Lucas Raymond scored into an empty net with just 33 seconds left. John Leonard stopped all 21 shots against earning his fourth shutout since December 1st. Leonard has gone 18-4-1 in that time, with a .923 sv% and 2.1 goals against.
The Red Wings held on to second place in the Atlantic Division and now have 72 points on the season. This win was the first time Detroit has won in Colorado since 2016. Interestingly, that was also the last time that the Red Wings made the playoffs. Nearly 10 years later, Detroit seems to have taken the next step in their team rebuild.
Detroit is being linked to multiple trade rumors
The Red Wings played an impressive game defensively, even without Simon Edvinsson in the lineup. Even so, Detroit’s blue line depth has been tested recently. General Manager Steve Yzerman has been rumored to be in talks with multiple teams in hopes of adding defensive depth. Luke Schenn and Justin Faulk have both been named as potential trade targets for Detroit.
The Red Wings have been trying to add to the blue line since last summer. Yzerman had been linked to both Noah Hanifin and K’andre Miller, but ultimately lost out on both players. Jacob Trouba used his trade protection to shut down a deal last season, ultimately opting to move to the Anaheim Ducks instead.
The Red Wings have struggled to attract high end free agents and players with trade protection. However, this year’s success may begin to remedy those issues. There is a lot of excitement around Detroit, and that energy could be a factor in brining in some new players. Still, the competition is fierce in a fairly thin market right now.
Everything changes after the Olympic Break
The race in the Atlantic Division is tight, accordingly Detroit has pushed hard to keep adding points. Only six points separates the top five teams in the division, as the race remains tight. However, the league will go through an interesting reset due to a three week break. Therefore, any momentum teams have will be gone when teams return at the end of February.
Pundits are estimating that teams will need around 98 points to get into the playoffs this year. The Red Wings have 72 points, therefore they would need 13 wins over their next 25 games (or the points equivalent) to get in. Accordingly, if the team can win their final game before the break, they would need to win just 12 of their final 24 games.
Still, with the Red Wings top players heading to the Olympics, anything can happen. If any of Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond or Moritz Seider are injured, things could get interesting. Detroit’s return from last year’s Four Nations tournament was disastrous. The team lost seven of nine games after returning, thus falling out of playoff contention. Detroit’s strong season hasn’t guaranteed them a playoff spot yet, however the team is the closest they’ve been in a long time.
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