The Detroit Red Wings are on an absolute tear at the absolute perfect time. Victorious in six straight games, the Wings are back into a playoff spot and looking like one of the NHL’s premier clubs ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
And general manager Steve Yzerman’s latest comments sure make it seem like the team will be buying at the deadline, with postseason hockey looking to be returning to Motown for the first time in eight seasons.
“We’ve got some work to do in some areas, but it’s very encouraging,” Yzerman told The Associated Press’s Larry Lage after the Wings dismantled the Washington Capitals 8-3 on Tuesday. “We’re getting stronger as the season goes on.”
Now 33-20-6, the Wings hold the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference and are just two points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the third spot in the Atlantic Division.
“We’ve got a pretty balanced attack with offensive contributions from all four lines, and defense,” the GM and Red Wings legend told AP.
Wings earn high praise from Caps coach
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery had a front row seat to Detroit’s high-flying offense on Tuesday — and he had some very high praise for the squad afterwards.
“They’re as good as any team in the National Hockey League,” the bench boss asserted. “Right from the start, you could see the talent through their lineup and through their roster and the plays they make. With the finish they had, it was on full display.”
And lately, that hasn’t been false. The Wings look like a juggernaut, now just a single victory away from tying their longest winning streak since January of 2012.
Patrick Kane has fit right in and continues to excel offensively, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin are in the midst of standout campaigns, and Alex Lyon has emerged into a bonafide No. 1 goalie. Those are the catalysts, but everyone is buying into the system in Detroit.
The result is, everything is going right in Motown, and it looks like only a matter of time before playoff hockey returns to little Caesars Arena. But first, Yzerman will probably make a very solid team even better at the NHL Trade Deadline.
More must-reads: