Even though San Jose was able to cool off the red-hot Red Wings on Tuesday night, Detroit fans have to be pleased with what they've been witnessing since the turn of the new year.
Prior to the 6-3 loss to the Sharks, the Red Wings were riding a seven-game win streak that dated back to Dec. 29, just two days after Detroit fired Derek Lalonde.
Up until losing to a last-place Sharks team, the Red Wings, a team that was once among the most disappointing in all of hockey, was responding very well to a new voice. That new voice is Todd McLellan, who is embarking on his return to Detroit after previously serving under Mike Babcock during a period that saw the Red Wings reach the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons and win it all in 2008.
Part of what's been a noticeable difference for Detroit since the coaching change is its top players have stepped up. And simply put, it has scored more goals as a team.
After scoring just one goal in all of December, captain Dylan Larkin already has five so far in January. Three of Patrick Kane's 10 goals on the season have also come in the last two weeks. Kane has 10 total points in the first five games of 2025 as well. Even Lucas Raymond, who was carrying most of the scoring load during Detroit's December skid, now has 18 goals and is getting back to his pace from last season when he netted 31.
While the turn around has been nice, Detroit fans are still left unsettled by its place in the standings. The Red Wings sit four points back of a wild-card spot. Detroit entered the season facing expectations of ending the once-proud franchise's playoff drought, especially after falling just shy of a postseason birth on the final day of the 2023-24 season.
Cynics will argue Detroit's recent win streak was aided by the opponents. The Red Wings did beat Washington early in Alexander Ovechkin's return and even upset Winnipeg on the road, but the other five wins came against the likes of the struggling Penguins, Blackhawks twice, Senators and Kraken. Not exactly a murderer's row.
But we will soon learn what this Detroit team is really made of based on its upcoming schedule. The Red Wings have Florida, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Philadelphia, Montreal and the Lightning again on deck.
Can Detroit show the loss to the Sharks was an aberration and continue their fight to get in the race or will a 10-day stretch against mostly playoff teams expose the Red Wings once and for all?
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