For some, even some of the most ardent members of the Detroit Red Wings fanbase, there is resignation that the team’s playoff chances have come and gone.

Then there’s a smattering of loyalists who are absolutely anrefusing to give up faith that the team will find a way to get it done.

As far as the players themselves, they recognize the most prudent of movements for them is to distance themselves from the emotional roller coaster that the chase for the NHL’s second Eastern Conference wild card spot is creating.

The only choice they have is to be living in the moment.

The post Red Wings Must Remain Divorced From Emotion of Race (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Entering Tuesday’s home date with the Washington Capitals, the Detroit Red Wings talked confidently of being in control of their own destiny in the race for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot in the NHL playoffs.

Today, that’s no longer the case, and they can thank a pair of veteran players who wear Stanley Cup rings for this dilemma.

A 2-1 loss to the Capitals was the result of ill-advised decisions with the puck made by experienced forwards J.T. Compher and David Perron that both resulted in Washington goals during the final 2:13 of the second period.

“Those were controllable situations,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde of the two miscues that led to Capitals tallies. “We gave them some zone time and some looks off of some turnovers.”

Late in the middle frame with the game scoreless, trouble began brewing the Detroit zone. Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry broke his stick. Forward Alex DeBrincat would then hand his twig off to his teammate.

#ALLCAPS 1-0. DYLAN MF STROME. 300TH CAREER POINT. pic.twitter.com/hTQ2aDcgXt

— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) April 10, 2024

“Jeff broke his stick in the corner,” explained Perron. “Cat gives him his stick and it’s kind of a mini five-on-four for a little bit and they found a way.”

The path to that way was paved via a terrible decision by Compher. Attempting to clear the puck, he threw it directly up the middle of the ice – the only place along the Detroit blueline where a Washington player was situated.

Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary blocked the clearing attempt. He fed the puck to Dylan Strome, who’d rifle a shot past Detroit netminder Alex Lyon for the opening goal.

Red Wings Giving Away Goals

For the second time in as many Detroit one-goal losses, veteran forward Perron had his fingerprints all over the deciding goal. Friday, it was his third-period penalty that led to the New York Rangers scoring on the power play in a 4-3 victory over Detroit.

Tuesday, with the clock winding down on the second frame, Perron threw a pass back toward his own end in the direction of defenseman Moritz Seider.

Alex Ovechkin sets the NHL RECORD with his 18th career 30 goal season pic.twitter.com/r7hm5Q14ed

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 10, 2024

Seider was unable to control the puck and it would bounce to the last person any Red Wings player would want to see with the puck on his stick, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. He sent a sizzling shot into the net and it was 2-0 Washington with 7.3 seconds left until the second intermission.

“Just not the greatest pass by me,” Perron admitted. “I got to put that on his stick.

“That’s a play we do all the time. Sometimes it goes up, sometimes you hit the weakside D coming up the ice and just unfortunate I didn’t make the right play on his stick.

“Sometimes it happens and he handles it, this time he didn’t handle it and it went back the other way and Ovechkin scored. Not a great play by me.”

Poor Puck Management Punishing Detroit

Poor puck management has victimized the Red Wings all season long. These self-inflicted mistakes were Hockey 101 stuff. You learn early never to throw the puck out of your zone up the middle of the ice. Likewise, the last thing you want to do with the puck as the period is nearing a conclusion is send it back toward your own net.

Tuesday, those bad decisions put the Red Wings behind the eight ball, handing the Caps a playoff position. Detroit is now trailing Washington (85 points). The Red Wings are in a deadlock with Pittsburgh (84 points). They’re heading next to the Steel City for a Thursday showdown with the Penguins.

“This one certainly stings,” Lalonde was admitting. “We still have some games to play. If we take care of business, I still think we’re in this thing.

“It’s just gonna be a little harder now, obviously, going into Pittsburgh, into Toronto. It stinks, it happens.”

The post Veteran Mistakes Derail Red Wings Again appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

You can point to the arrival of Alex Lyon between the posts as the time during the season when the Detroit Red Wings began to really look like a playoff contender.

They’re looking like that type of team again over the past couple of games. And once again, it’s a resurgence in Lyon’s game that is driving the bus toward a postseason position.

In his last two games, he was outplaying a pair of Vezina Trophy winners in Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky and Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. Detroit would garner three of four points from those two road games.

Lyon figures to be opposing another goalie with that pedigree on Friday in Igor Shesterkin. The Red Wings are playing host to the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena.

Last season, the Florida Panthers were 3 points back of the final wildcard spot with 8 games to go.

Alex Lyon went 6-1-1 in those final 8 games with a .943 Sv% to lead the Panthers to that final wild card spot.

Can he do it again? https://t.co/2v6bJUUbu0

— Prashanth Iyer (@iyer_prashanth) April 2, 2024

“He looks a lot more comfortable with his game,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of Lyon. “When I see him out playing pucks, helping us on the breakout, when he’s controlling rebounds, he just looks sharp.

“It feels like it’s going to take a good play to beat him and I think that’s where he was at in Florida (Saturday) and that’s where he was at in Tampa (Monday) and it exudes some confidence. You can tell when a goalie is on his A game, and he’s been there.

“It’s a good sign for us. It’s no surprise it correlates with some good hockey from our team and some points.”

Lyon Is Red Wings Masterton Nominee

A career minor leaguer who’s battled for every minute he’s ever earned in an NHL net, this is the first season that the ??-year-old Lyon has spent his entire campaign in the show. It’s that intestinal fortitude, coupled with the success he’s enjoying, that’s led to the journeyman veteran being this season’s Red Wings nominee for the Masterton Trophy. That award goes to a player who displays dedication and perserverance, and that description fits Lyon to a T.

#LGRW pic.twitter.com/cm3IQf1NKC

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 1, 2024

In his first season as an NHL No. 1 goalie, Lyon’s resume already shows him playing a career-high 39 games. He’s 19-16-4, with two shutouts, a .907 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA.

“His mental fortitude, his play,” Lalonde suggested as to Lyon’s best assets. “His mental toughness taking on this workload. He’s been remarkable for us.”

The post Lyon’s Roar Gets Red Wings Rolling Again appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings hadn’t won since March 21. Alex Lyon hadn’t won since Feb. 27.

Both of those skids came to a halt Monday, and so did the gloom and doom surrounding Detroit’s diminishing playoff chances.

David Perron’s goal with 2:40 left in regulation time would snap a 2-2 tie, propelling the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The outcome brought a halt to Detroit’s 0-2-2 losing skid during this five-game road trip.

Back on top! DP_57 bangs home the rebound, and the Red Wings re-take the lead late in the third period! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/7pAhCOo68d

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 2, 2024

“None bigger goal than DP’s goal at the end and he’s been in the battle the whole season, he always is,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin told Bally Sports Detroit. “For him to score the big one, it was just a veteran player that knows how to play in these big games.”

It’s also the first time in franchise history that the Red Wings have swept a season series of three or more games from the Lightning. As well, Detroit was ending a nine-game (0-7-2) winless drought on the road.

Red Wings Tied With Capitals

More significantly, the outcome is leaving Detroit and Washington in a deadlock for the final Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Each team has 82 points. However, the Capitals (73 games) hold two games in hand on the Red Wings and the first tiebreaker. Washington has 28 regulation wins, compared to 26 for Detroit.

Lucas Raymond puts the exclamation point on this one with an empty netter! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/agHlqfLq4R

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 2, 2024

“We’ve been playing really good team hockey recently,” Perron said. “Obviously, we know how many points we need to keep advancing, being in the fight. I’ve liked our recent play. We just gotta keep pushing, keep getting points.”

Elsewhere Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers were losing 4-3 in overtime to the New York Islanders. The OT point was enough to move Philly (83 points) back into third spot in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of the Capitals. But the Flyers have played 76 games.

Rasmussen Suffers Injury Late In Game

Center J.T. Compher won the offensive-zone draw that led to Perron’s game winner. He led all Detroit forwards in ice time with 23:10.

Lucas Raymond would tally an empty netter. Patrick Kane and Robby Fabbri scored earlier to twice give the Red Wings the lead, only to see the Lightning tie it each time.

“It’s been hard,” Larkin admitted. “These games have been hard, intense. (In this game) we got rewarded with playing the right way and hard, battling.”

Ending a personal 0-8-2 slide, Detroit goalie Lyon was stellar, blocking 34 shots.

“Even when things weren’t going his way he just stuck with it,” Larkin said. “Like I said, it’s hard. You got (Nikita) Kucherov and (Brayden) Point out there. They’re roaming around, making world-class plays.”

At the other end of the spectrum, fourth-line center Joe Veleno played just 4:42.

“Veleno, just kind of ran into some matchup issues, some special teams, we used him late a couple times,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.

Late in the, winger Michael Rasmussen left the ice following a collision along the boards.

“Ras left with an upper body,” Lalonde said. “Don’t know much more about it.”

The post Red Wings Back in Playoff Hunt With Sweep of Lightning appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings were in the NHL playoffs. Sunday, they weren’t.

They still won’t be today, but could be back into a postseason placing as early as Tuesday.

It’s an emotional roller coaster, and we’ve all gone on that trip. But in pursuit of a chance at the Stanley Cup, it’s the most enjoyable ride in the entire amusement park.

“We have to win,” Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson said. “That is kind of pressure, but it’s more fun. I’m more happy than I feel pressure, so it’s a fun opportunity I feel like.”

This power play was brought to you by Simon Edvinsson's awareness and skating abilities pic.twitter.com/YYiv3itoxH

— Red Wings Rant (@Red_Wings_Rant) March 23, 2024

He’s got a point. Don’t you think teams like the San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks, long irrelevant in the playoff picture, would eagerly embrace the opportunity to engage the pressure the Red Wings are currently feeling? For that matter, Detroit teams of the previous seven seasons would also be willingly stepping up to get into line and take this ride.

This Is Where Red Wings Want To Be

“This is where you want to be,” Detroit forward Lucas Raymond said. “It’s a tough spot, it’s pressure on everyone, but that’s the fun part of it.

“You’re playing for something meaningful. You can just feel it within this locker room. It’s awesome.”

Lucas Raymond is now the 2nd highest producing U22 swede in NHL history #LGRW pic.twitter.com/k8lUpe862T

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) March 21, 2024

With improved opportunities come increased expectations. Playoff hockey might not have been at the top of Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman’s to-do list in the summer. However, now that they’re knocking on the door, the players don’t want to let this chance escape their grasp.

“It’s more pressure of course, but that’s why you play hockey,” Edvinsson noted. “I like those moments. I’m just happy to be here now.”

Emotions and pressures must be put aside. For the Red Wings, it’s all about embracing the moment and making the most of it.

It’s just about enjoying it and coming through big,” Raymond said.

Win Over Capitals Would Reclaim Playoff Position

A win on Tuesday at Washington would see Detroit leapfrogging over the Capitals and back into the second Eastern Conference wild card spot.

“It almost feels like we’ve been in the playoffs already, just because of the emotion from game to game,” forward David Perron said. “We have to find a way to just park it, move forward. The day in between games is a day where you can get re-energized and get under control. And then you gotta get back into habit the next game.

“It’s a roller coaster. You gotta find a way to park it, get re-energized. Much like playoffs. You lose Game 1 let’s say of a playoff series and it almost feels like it’s over at times. And then you win the next one and it’s here we go, best of five. We’re back in this thing, we’re playing good, all that stuff. That’s what it’s gonna be for the next 11 games.”

The post Pressure? What Pressure? Red Wings Insist This is Fun appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Ostensibly with their play of late, it would seem that the Detroit Red Wings are bound and determined to miss the NHL playoffs.

That’s when Lucas Raymond is figuratively saying, ‘Hold my beer.’

The man the Red Wings call Razor is razor sharp, and his edge is maintaining Detroit’s place in the purusit of postseason positioning.

Scoring twice as Detroit was rallying for a 4-3 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, Raymond has now tallied in five successive games. He’s been good for seven goals over that span.

Lucas stays hot. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/vLCt6cAb8z

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 20, 2024

Minus captain Dylan Larkin (lower-body injury), it’s Raymond who is driving the bus for Detroit.

“With Dylan being out, he’s literally driven us to stay in this battle,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said of Raymond.

Raymond Carrying Red Wings

With 24 goals on the season, Raymond has set a new career high. His 59 points also lead the Red Wings in scoring.

No, Raymond didn’t net the OT winner. In fact, he wasn’t even on the ice when Patrick Kane was notching his third extra-session marker for the Red Wings this season.

On the other hand, no one would’ve been on the ice if it weren’t for Raymond.

The Red Wings were 12.6 seconds away from losing in regulation to the NHL’s 29th-ranked team when Raymond drove a Kane rebound into the Columbus net to make it 3-3.

Lucas Raymond = and it's a 3-3 tie!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/qsNY0knmzD

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 20, 2024

On a Detroit team that once again slept its way through the first period, falling behind 2-0, Raymond has become a constant, steadying, reliable presence.

“There’s probably been one consistent guy that I know what he’s going to give us and that’s Raymond,” Lalonde said. “Maybe DP (David Perron).

“I hate mentioning some names but those are the two guys that I can walk into a game and know what we’re going to get from them.”

Lucas Pulling His Weight

Much was made about the offseason work put in by Raymond in the area of bulking up physically. The evidence of how it’s paying dividends is apparent during the stretch drive of the NHL regular season.

“At this time last year he was tiring,” Lalonde recalled. “He was not very good. We were worrying how much we could play him down the stretch.”

Both of Raymond’s goals on Tuesday came from the so-called dirty area in the slot on the edge of goal crease.

“The hard play,” Lalonde said. “Hard area on both goals, the low slot. But his battle, his compete.”

It’s where a player knows the price they will pay for venturing there is pain and punishment. But the reward is frequently illuminated by a shining red light.

“Ray’s been pretty automatic there in the middle,” Kane said. “I told him if he keeps scoring in there, he’s gonna have to play there his whole career, so he better be careful.”

Careful is no longer a word that’s part of Raymond’s vocabulary. He knows the Red Wings are counting on him, and he keeps making the plays that count.

The post Razor’s Edge Keeping Red Wings in Playoff Battle appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings can’t seem to figure out how to play with the same confidence and effectiveness they showed in January. They have now lost seven games in a row and don’t seem any closer to figuring out how to solve their issues.

The problem: it’s not one thing. It’s everything.

It’s the team’s defensive play, the inability to generate scoring, lack of jump, slow starts, leaky goaltending, untimely mistakes, loss of confidence, lack of resilience, Dylan Larkin’s absence and pressure forcing the players to press. This is a Detroit squad that has scored 12 goals in their seven losses.

“In your career you go through some things like this,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “It’s just trying to find some answers throughout the lineup. It’s reality. We have not handled our group very well with Dylan out. There’s no reason for that. He’s a special, special player. He’s our engine a lot of nights but we have very capable group, very capable lineup. I think it’s got to be a little more emphasis on those defensive mistakes.”

Mickey’s Moments 3.14.24: In tonight's Mickey's Moments, we hear from the man himself on what the Red Wings must do to bolster their confidence amidst their most challenging adversity of the season.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/edoQkmOmm8

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 15, 2024

Not one aspect of Detroit’s game deserved a better grade than D or D+. The offense couldn’t generate 30 shots against a team that has only won six of its last 26 games. Defensive lapses came at the wrong time.

Defensive lapses

“It could be a number of different factors,” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “But we need to get this thing going in the right direction. We have to be better defensively. I think you see the chances that we give up. There ones that shouldn’t happen, especially at this time of year, when everything should be rolling in the same direction. It should be like a machine at this point. Just everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and being there at the right time. We’re not there yet and we need to get there in a hurry.”

The Red Wings didn’t have the necessary jump to win a game with playoff implications.

“No doubt it felt like (the Coyotes) had a little better legs,” Lalonde said. “It’s probably a little bit of us pressing. I think our guys want it so much, you saw the effort in practice. We’re trying to press a little bit. We’re getting some of our offensive guys back out there a little more. Probably draining them a little bit. But again, we’re not going to generate a ton five-on-five, we got to be in these low-scoring games and give ourselves a chance.

Running Out of Runway

The Red Wings fell behind 1-0 at 5:10 into the first period by giving up a shorthanded goal. Goalie Alex Lyon shouldn’t have to stop a breakaway in that situation. But Lyon couldn’t make the save and the Red Wings were again in trouble early. That’s been a problem during the losing skid. The odds are with the goalie on a breakaway, but Lyon isn’t playing as sharply as he did when the team was winning.

“I see recently that we get down one and we kinda get . . . it’s a little bit deflating for the group,” Chiarot said. “It was happening earlier in the year, too, I remember. The same kind of thing. We’d give up the first goal, kind of get on our heels a little bit. But when we’re playing well and things are going well for us, it doesn’t really bother us. We know we’re gonna get the next goal. Right now we’ve just kind of lost that confidence that we can do it. Fighting to get that back is what we need.”

Time is running out for the Red Wings who only have 16 games remaining.

“It’s as tough as it gets in the room right now.” Detroit forward David Perron said. “We gotta find a way to bounce back. We gotta find a way to get up, put our pride on the line and be better.”

The post Red Wings Have Too Many Problems, Not Enough Answers appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

In the latter stages of the third period, evidently oblivious to the debacle unfolding right before their very eyes, Detroit Red Wings fans crowded into Little Caesars Arena were belting out a rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Player.

There’s just one problem with that selection.

Currently, the Red Wings are living like they don’t have a prayer. And the club’s playoff chances are moving toward being put on life suport.

That L must’ve tasted like Mom’s Spaghetti. https://t.co/24voed6UwW pic.twitter.com/9eSHIwMKuC

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 15, 2024

A 4-1 home-ice loss to the Arizona Coyotes should be a tipping point for a team that has now lost seven games in a row, all in regulation.

“It’s unacceptable,” Red Wings forward David Perron said.

More like inexcuasble.

Red Wings Are Coyotes Ugly

In the span of a week, Detroit lost twice to Arizona, the 24th-best team in the 32-team NHL. In those two games, the Red Wings were outscored 8-1.

The Coyotes are 4-16-2 over their past 22 games. Fifty percent of those victories came at the expense of a Detroit squad in a battle for an Eastern Conference wild card spot.

The New York Islanders remain percentage points ahead of the Red Wings for that eighth and final postseason placing. Beating the Isles 4-0 on Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres were moving to within three points of Detroit.

The Sabres and Red Wings battle on Saturday afternoon at LCA. Just three days ago, Buffalo was throttling Detroit 7-3. But if you were thinking things couldn’t get much worse for the Wings, boy were you wrong.

Embarrassing Loss For Red Wings

Should you have been unlucky enough to witness Thursday’s contest, you saw a dreadful exhibition of hockey. The Coyotes were desperately seeking a way to find a defeat. This is a team that struggles to complete a tape-to-tape pass of more than 10 feet. They commit enough turnovers to stock a bakery’s inventory for many a day.

Yet as much as they sought to hand the game to the Red Wings, Detroit was unwilling to accept this charity.

The Red Wings are currently a team playing without composure, lacking fire and displaying an utter inability to either generate offense or make a reliable commitment to defense.

“We have to be better defensively,” Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said. “I think you see the chances that we give up.”

Picture perfect deflection by Carcone https://t.co/cP1UdvLEtC pic.twitter.com/o5KraMjYjY

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) March 15, 2024

A Jonatan Berggren turnover, compounded by the fact that Moritz Seider blew a tire, led to the first Coyotes goal. Olli Maatta was caught out of position on the seecond. Neither Chiarot or Jake Walman picked up a wide-open Nick Bjugstad in the slot on the third Coyotes tally.

Continuing, Chiarot uttered some words that should send chills of fear down the spines all every member of the Red Wings faithful.

Costly Defensive Miscues

“They’re ones that shouldn’t happen, especially at this time of year, when everything should be rolling in the same direction,” Chiarot explained of the defensive miscues. “It should be like a machine at this point. Just everyone knows exactly where they’re supposed to be and being there at the right time.

“We’re not there yet and we need to get there in a hurry.”

Is that on the coaches, or the players? Yes and yes.

It’s also, as noted earlier and emphasized by Chiarot, inexcusable at this juncture of the season.

“It’s as tough as it gets in the room right now,” Perron said. “We gotta find a way to bounce back.

“We gotta find a way to get up, put our pride on the line and be better.”

The post No Excuse For Latest Red Wings Setback appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings have lost six games in a row. They’ve sqaundered their hold on an NHL playoff position.

Nerves are frayed. Frustration is growing. And tempers are flaring.

Ben Chiarot and Lucas Raymond had to be separated during Wings practice.

Detroit has lost 6 in a row and has fallen out of the top-8 in the East …

(via @JeannaTrotmanTV) pic.twitter.com/zyeFS48nTJ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 13, 2024

During a drill at practice on Wednesday, forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Ben Chiarot came to blows. Teammates were required to intervene in order to separate the combatants.

This, according to Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, is a good thing. It’s a positive development for a club that needs to get back on track.

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing,” Kane said. “I’d be more worried if we were walking around here all smiles, happy and everything’s okay. I think it’s good to get a little frustrated as long as you harness it in the right way.

“Frustration can create a lot of positive energy as well, whether it’s practicicing like you play, or just playing harder tomorrow.”

Both Chiarot and Raymond have been struggling during this six-game Detroit skid. Each player is minus-10 over that span.

Red Wings Need To Refocus

The Red Wings are playing three of their next four games at home, beginning with a Thursday date with the Arizona Coyotes. Arizona beat Detroit 4-0 last week at Mullett Arena.

Saturday, there’s a reunion with the Buffalo Sabres. On Tuesday in Buffalo, the Red Wings were given a 7-3 throttling.

#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Detroit Red Wings on 2024-03-12:#LGRW #RedWings pic.twitter.com/3C4o8BaIwm

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) March 13, 2024

Detroit forward David Perron, like Kane a veteran of the hockey wars, also felt that the sight of two of his teammates scrapping was an indication that the Red Wings want to find a way to get back to their winning ways.

“We saw the intensity this morning in practice,” Perron said. “I think that’s great to see. Guys want to have solutions, they want to be part of it.
“I’m excited for tomorrow. It’s an exciting challenge to come to the rink and find a way to turn it around.“

The post Tempers Flare at Red Wings Practice appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Coaches like Derek Lalonde of the Detroit Red Wings will frequently talk about the process and playing the right way.

There’s certainly value in that factor. If a team is doing it properly, the law of averages would suggest that eventually, results will follow.

Here’s the thing, though. At the moment, there isn’t time to wait for such an evolution. Time is running out for the Red Wings and they know it.

“We’re trying to right the ship here,” Detroit forward Andrew Copp said. “Play with a certain edge, a certain tenacity.”

A little over a week ago, they were eight points clear of any team in the chase for an Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Today, thanks to the New York Islanders beating the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 on Sunday, they are now deadlocked, each with 72 points. And the Isles are holding a game in hand.

Final. pic.twitter.com/UFNrxKDvkW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 10, 2024

The Islanders have won six in a row. Heading to Buffalo for a Tuesday showdown with the Sabres that will complete a four-game road trip, the Red Wings are losers of five in succession. They fell 5-3 on Saturday to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Wings need wins. And they need them right now.

“We’re not in the taking the positives mood,” Copp said. “We need points.”

Winnable Games Ahead For Red Wings

This week is launching a five-game run for Detroit against clubs that are currently not part of the playoff picture. After Buffalo, the Red Wings come home to face the Arizona Coyotes and then a rematch with the Sabres. Next, they go to Pittsburgh, before returning for a home date against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

They need to get at least four wins out of this run, because their season could be on the line come March 21. That’s when the Islanders are visiting Little Caesars Arena. This five-game slide got underway thanks to a 5-3 home-ice loss to the Isles.

Noting that through their last five periods he’s seeing positive signs, Lalonde retains confidence that his team will soon be pulling out of this skid.

pic.twitter.com/UYTl0FLCo0

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 10, 2024

“I just think you got to concentrate on our effort,” Lalonde said. “We did that pretty much from the second period on in Arizona (4-0 loss on Thursday) and unfortunately, we’re not getting rewarded for it. Keep an effort like that and I think we’ll have some success going forward.”

There’s another adage that NHL players and coaches often reference. It’s that they work in a results-based business.

At the present time, the results being put forth by the Red Wings are entirely unacceptable.

“Real positive steps,” Red Wings forward David Perron was pointing out following Saturday’s setback. Then he quickly was assessing how little that was worth in the playoff chase.

“I guess we’re not in a league that cares about that too much,” Perron added. “Right now we care about getting points and stuff like that.”

The post Moral Victories Worthless to Red Wings appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.