3 X-Factors that will make or break the rest of the Red Wings season
The Detroit Red Wings are still well in the playoff hunt in the second half of February, but they are barely hanging onto a wild card spot at the moment.
The Red Wings have been one of the better teams in the NHL this season, but they are currently struggling to hang onto that final playoff spot. Therefore, quite a few major factors will go into whether this team finds itself in the postseason, where they can throw their name into the hat for the rights to win their first Stanley Cup since 2008.
Inconsistencies on defense and goaltending have cost this team, along with further inconsistencies in accumulating points, where they have had remarkable points streaks alongside some ultra-lean periods.
Given Detroit’s overall inconsistency this season despite pulling off big trades involving Alex DeBrincat and bringing in former Chicago Blackhawk Patrick Kane, it’s clear they need to make one more big move near or at the trade deadline to at least maximize their chances at a playoff berth.
Their overall inconsistencies, plus the growing fact that general manager Steve Yzerman should bring in one more major asset, are three X-Factors that will either make or break the final two months of the Red Wings season.
Somebody needs to step up in the net to give Detroit a chance
While the Red Wings should trade for a goaltender, it doesn’t mean the talent they have in the net now can afford to underperform at this crucial time of the year. The team must step up defensively, but with the goaltender acting as the last of defense, they need to give the Red Wings more consistent play.
Alex Lyon has been their best netminder to date, but he allowed 11 goals in his last two starts, saving just 39 out of 50 shots on goal for a save percentage of a meager 0.780 percent. Meanwhile, neither Ville Husso nor James Reimer have played excellent hockey in the crease, but with the Red Wings on the cusp of earning their first playoff berth in a while, the current rotation must step up even amidst the struggles on defense.
This team needs consistency in the points column now
While the Red Wings started off hot in 2023-24 with a 12-7-3 record by the end of November, December through mid-February has been a roller coaster. This team tanked in the final month of 2023, finishing the year 5-9-1 before rebounding in January 2024 with nine wins, two losses, and two overtime losses.
Here we are in February, and following what was an epic win over the Vancouver Canucks, the Red Wings found themselves outscored 12-5 in their next two games against the Edmonton Oilers and, once again, the Canucks. So, which Detroit Red Wings team will show up between now and the trade deadline? Will it be the team we saw in December, or will they resemble the group that got on a roll in January?
If Detroit doesn’t plan on playing catch-up hockey in a wild card race that will definitely involve the resurging New Jersey Devils, a mighty Toronto Maple Leafs, and perhaps even the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins, they need to stay consistent in the points column.
Should February resemble December, then Detroit will more than have its work cut out in March and April. If they miss the playoffs again, then the man in charge’s seat has got to get hotter, regardless of his ties to the organization.
The Yzerplan needs to go into overdrive
Despite more than a few poor seasons throughout the Steve Yzerman era, the plan is finally taking hold to a degree. While the Red Wings appear to be a step ahead of the “non-playoff teams” in the Atlantic Division from last season, they are still clinging to that second wild card spot, and sooner than later, they need to cross that threshold and return to the playoffs.
This is Yzerman’s fifth season in Detroit, and still, they are nothing more than a bubble team at the moment. That said, Yzerman needs to have more of a sense of urgency at the trade deadline and make at least one more blockbuster move to all but guarantee this team a wild card spot come the back half of April.
Someone like Jakob Chychrun would be outstanding, or a goaltender capable of pulling off consistent starts every time they are in the net. This isn’t to say Yzerman has done a poor job, as his moves have pulled the Red Wings into contention.
But if the Devils keep surging and Detroit keeps stagnating, they will once again be going home following an 82-game season. Yzerman built this team through trades and free agency, and now it’s time to show us that his methods work wonders like they did during his days in Tampa.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 16th)