The Detroit Red Wings entered the 4 Nations Face-Off break in a playoff spot. Detroit made a coaching change shortly before the calendar changed to 2025. And the results under new head coach Todd McLellan have been impressive, to say the least. Before the break, this team seemed to be in the driver seat for a playoff spot.
Unfortunately, this has not panned out following the league’s return to action. Since the team’s return on February 22, the Red Wings are 4-7-1. This does include their Sunday afternoon shutout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, to be fair. However, that victory does not change the downward trend this team has been on.
What makes matters even more bleak is that the Red Wings had a rather uninspiring 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. The Blackhawks traded for center Joe Veleno in a Deadline Day deal. In return, Detroit acquired forward Craig Smith and goalie Petr Mrazek.
Mrazek has panned out well in the early going, to be fair. He recorded the shutout win over Vegas on Sunday. And he has a sparkling .920 save percentage in three starts. In saying this, this is the only move the team made at the deadline. It’s a bit deflating, given the sort of deals the team could have made.
The Red Wings are trying to make their way through a brutal Eastern Conference Wild Card race. This is a team that has the ability to make noise in this race, to be fair. However, it certainly won’t be easy. And there are two major reasons Red Wings fans should be concerned moving forward.
Red Wings run the gauntlet after the trade deadline
The Red Wings have picked up some big wins since McLellan took over behind the bench. Their win on Sunday over the Golden Knights proves the team can beat the best in the league. However, Detroit has to face the best in the NHL on a near-constant basis the rest of the way.
No team in the NHL has a harder remaining strength of schedule than the Red Wings, according to Tankathon. In fact, they are the only ream with a remaining strength of schedule at .600 or more. The next closest team is the Buffalo Sabres with a remaining SOS of .575.
Entering Sunday’s contest, the picture was quite bleak. 10 of their remaining 16 games before Sunday’s win are road contests, according to Winged Wheel Podcast host Ryan Hana. Moreover, 10 of those contests were against top-10 teams in the league on points percentage.
Now, the Red Wings have five remaining home games after Sunday’s win. And their slate of opponents is certainly not getting easier. Detroit will need to bring their best effort every game if they want to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Red Wings are known to implode at the worst times
The Red Wings are a good hockey team. At this point, it’s hard to deny they have the talent to win games. There are certainly some roadblocks. Injuries haven’t been kind to them, for instance. But this is a team with the ability to win against whoever they face.
And yet, Detroit has also shown a frustrating ability to implode when they need to avoid such a fate. They lost a couple games during a six-game losing streak by blowing leads in the third period. At times, it seems as if the slightest resistance to their momentum has caused the team to completely crumble.
The Red Wings have to find a way to avoid these outcomes. Detroit cannot go against teams like the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs and expect to luck into victories. Whether it’s luck or a mental toughness issue, the Winged Wheel has to figure out ways to close out games when they have their opportunities.
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