On Saturday, the Atlantic Division looks like a strange place. The Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Buffalo Sabres are ranked first, second, and third, respectively, and it's a trend that could continue if the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins, the so-called "haves," keep struggling.
Detroit contributed to the fray, upending the Panthers, the Lightning, and the Leafs, whom they beat twice. Their 5-1-0 start left them tied for first with the Canadiens, but two straight losses, including one to a motivated Sabres team, have them sitting just two points ahead of the Blue and Gold.
This is a situation, and an opportunity, they can't let go to waste. The Sabres surely don't look like they're taking that risk, winning four of their last five following a 0-3 start, and the Wings need to get their act together and do what Buffalo's doing, and that's to play inspired hockey when the going gets tough.
Detroit Red Wings are letting a golden opportunity slip
Heading into the so-called "easy" part of October's schedule was going to reveal a lot about the Wings. They played the supposed tough competition well, like Florida, Tampa, and Toronto. All three teams are still struggling, so at least the Wings took advantage of that.
The Sabres were a meager 2-4-0 and looked like a team more interested in Gavin McKenna than they were in breaking their 14-season playoff drought when the Wings skated into KeyBank Center and let a rookie netminder get the best of them. That put them behind the eight-ball, only to get embarrassed the next night by a team whose most exciting player also happens to be a rookie in the New York Islanders.
While Florida, Tampa, and Toronto look like their "windows" are closing, it's still early enough in the season for them to turn things around, and that's why the Wings need to start making some statement wins against opponents they should have no problem beating. On paper, they were better than the Sabres and Islanders, as neither team boasts a deep lineup.
That can also be the case for the rest of their monthly slate, which includes two games against the Blues, and then tilts against both Los Angeles teams, the Kings and (Anaheim) Ducks. They still have time to figure this out, but should Florida, Tampa, and Toronto find their respective games while the Wings are still struggling, and the Sabres and Canadiens keep winning, Detroit's going to be in trouble.
If they want to keep that from happening and if they still want fans to have faith in the Yzerplan, then they have no choice. They need to win hockey games, and it needs to start immediately.