West Coast Winning Good Omen For Red Wings

It’s been almost 16 years since the Detroit Red Wings went 3-0 on a West Coast swing through the state of California. All they need to do so this season is a win on Sunday at the Honda Center over the Anaheim Ducks.

Already, good omens are moving into Detroit’s corner thanks to the outcome of this road trip. At 2-0, the Red Wings are guaranteed of their first winning California trip since also going 2-1 during the 2015-16 campaign.

Not a bad way to start 2024. 🌴🙌 pic.twitter.com/BegIFm63xn

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 5, 2024

You know what else happened for the Wings that season that hasn’t happened since? That’s right, the club made the Stanley Cup playoffs.

You’ll need to go all the way back to the 2007-08 season to find the Red Wings going 3-0 through California. And that was also an epic campaign for Detroit. It’s the most recent season in which the club won the Stanley Cup.

Interestingly, that trip followed the same script that’s unfolded so far on this journey. It was undertaken during the month of January. First, there was a win in San Jose. Next, came a victory at LA, followed by a win in Anaheim.

Here’s how that 3-0 run unfolded for Detroit:

Jan. 19: Red Wings 6 at San Jose Sharks 3

Detroit blew a 2-0 lead in the second period, but then scored three unanswered goals over the final 10 minutes of the frame to claim a 5-2 lead.

Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom scored power-play goals for the Red Wings, with Kris Draper adding a shorthanded tally. Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg and Dan Cleary each counted a goal and two assists. Brian Rafalski dished out three helpers.

Jan. 22: Detroit 3 at Los Angeles Kings 0

Chris Osgood stopped all 27 shots he faced for the shutout in LA. Detroit would score once in each period – Holmstrom (first), Mikael Samuelsson (second) and Johan Franzen (third).

Samuelsson led all Red Wings scorers in the game with a goal and an assist.

Jan. 23: Red Wings 2 at Anaheim Ducks 1

The toughest win to get was the last one. Rafalski put Detroit in front with a first-period power-play marker during a 5-on-3 advantage. In the second period, Valtteri Filppula potted the eventual game winner, his 15th goal of the season.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Ducks would counter with a third-period power-play of their own from Chris Pronger midway through the stanza.

Dominik Hasek stopped 24 of 25 shots for the win.