With a golden opportunity to solidify their playoff hopes, the Detroit Red Wings entered a home game facing a depleted Ottawa Senators roster in a critical tilt for the fate of this season. Instead of getting a lift from their captain’s return, the Red Wings fell into a 3-0 hole and dropped an unacceptable 3-2 loss to the Senators to make the Red Wings’ hill steeper to climb.
Luckily, the team appeared to bounce back by scoring an impressive 5-2 victory over the Atlantic-leading Buffalo Sabres on the road. Shortly after, they fell flat again in a follow-up against the Philadelphia Flyers the next night, falling behind 4-0 and ultimately dropping a 5-3 decision.
These kinds of losses across an 82-game schedule are typical. But to have them occur at this crucial junction of the season yet again is an indictment on the 2025-26 Red Wings.
Dylan Larkin's legacy hinges on this leg of the season
In a stretch where both the season and, in my view, the legacy of the Larkin core hangs in the balance, the Red Wings faced five-straight teams (four at home) against teams in their orbit vying for a spot in the postseason. The team needed to show playoff-caliber poise. Instead, they limped to a 2-3-0 mark and lost three-straight home games to Boston, Ottawa and Philadelphia.
From this point on, how this team responds to adversity will affect Larkin's legacy. Does he have what it takes to bring this core to the next level? Or is this the best we can expect from this iteration of the Red Wings?
Coaches, players need to formulate game plan
Following the team's near-miss in 2023-24, the Red Wings hoped to take another step forward, bringing in Todd McLellan to coach. McLellan, who was an assistant coach for Detroit’s 2008 Stanley Cup roster, is the first head coach Detroit hired with NHL head coaching experience since Mike Babcock in 2005-06.
The coaching change paid immediate dividends, with Detroit winning seven-straight after losing McLellan’s debut and doing so again right before the Four Nations break in February to bring the team from battling for the first overall pick to firmly in a playoff spot.
Last week's abysmal performance, however, has led some to believe that there's a miscommunication between the coaching staff and the team. Growing frustrations, sloppy showings and a few remarks from the coaching staff suggest neither side is fully seeing eye-to-eye.
This isn't to suggest that there's a rift, however. Players and coaches often experience disagreements. But, if both parties hope to right the ship, they need to start formulating a game plan. There are just nine games left in the season. Even one poor game can spell doom for Detroit's playoff hopes.
The rest of the season will entirely depend on how the team chooses to navigate hardships.