Just like the three-act structure in a novel or play, you can divide the NHL season into three acts. As for the Detroit Red Wings, they thrived in Act II. Acts I and III, however, were different stories.
Act I was obvious since it culminated in the Wings cutting ties with former head coach Derek Lalonde, who’s now in Toronto. Not that it’ll make much of a difference, because the Maple Leafs have all but solidified their identity during the Auston Matthews era. And yeah, I know, this is coming from a guy who writes about the Red Wings, who haven’t even made the postseason lately.
Anyway, if general manager Steve Yzerman diagnoses what made his team falter toward the end of the year, maybe they’ll finally play respectable hockey in Acts I and III of the season.
Should Yzerman righten the wrongs, and with roughly two-thirds of a full season’s experience under head coach Todd McLellan, there’s no reason the Wings can’t excel in more than just Act II.
Red Wings ironically conquered the ‘marathon of the middle’ in 2024-25
That dreaded ‘marathon of the middle’ is what can make or break a team. I often consider it Act II of the regular season, lasting from December until the All-Star/4 Nations break (or Olympic break). As for the Red Wings, they flat-out dominated in this stretch after losing their first four games in December.
Here, they played in 32 games, scoring 101 goals while allowing 100, but put together an 18-11-3 record in the process, good for 39 points. Take that total down to an 82-game average, and you get 99.9 points, which we can round up to 100. It was by far the best stretch of the season for the Wings, but it shows just how futile they were in Acts I and III.
Yeah, you can argue the Wings figured it out some toward the last few matchups of the season, but it still didn’t justify their overall game throughout Act III. Sure, Act I was bad enough, but Act III ultimately kept them out of the playoffs.
Steve Yzerman needs to bring in some glue players this offseason
One reason the Red Wings must go after bruisers in free agency is that lower-liner forwards and third-pairing blueliners are your glue players. No, they don’t score goals or produce many points, but teams turn to them when they need a boost in energy and morale, especially if play stagnates in the top six or the first pairing.
Last season, the Wings didn’t have enough of them, and it led to way too much flat play. And I don’t care how much talent your team has; bringing a low-energy game too often will always give you a one-way ticket to an exit after 82 games.
Should Yzerman understand the assignment, expect more role players to revitalize the team’s energy levels if they threaten stagnation. If that happens, then the Wings could prevent this playoff drought from lasting into a tenth season.
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