Where were you in December 2011? President Barack Obama was still in his first term. “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO topped the music charts, while Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 made the most money at the box office.
For the Detroit Red Wings, captain Nicklas Lidstrom was the reigning Norris Trophy winner. The team was in the midst of their 25-year playoff streak, was just three years removed from their 11th Stanley Cup, and still featured superstars Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in the primes of their careers.
Detroit also had 18 points in December 2011 and were one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Little did we know that it would take 14 years for the Red Wings to reach that same level of success.
There is no need to rehash all the tribulations of the Red Wings over the last 14 seasons, but in many ways December 2011 was when things began to turn bad in Detroit. 2011-12 ended up being Lidstrom’s final season with Datsyuk and Zetterberg’s retirements not too far behind.
In addition to poor signings and draft picks, the team has also won only one playoff series since 2011 and made the playoffs just five more times. This obviously includes their current nine-year playoff drought.
December has especially been emblematic of the Wings’ recent ineptitude. Over the past three Decembers, Detroit was 5-6-2 in 2022-23, 5-9-1 in 2023-24, and 5-7-2 in 2024-25. These poor stretches erased hot starts and ultimately hindered their chances at making the postseason.
All the pain endured in December (and in general) over the past decade and a half is why December 2025 means so much to the Hockeytown faithful. Despite three games still to go, the Red Wings have already garnered their most points (17) in December since 2011.
With just over half the season left, the Detroit Red Wings look like they returned to playoff form
It was easy to be pessimistic entering this month with Detroit posting a 5-7-2 mark in November, including a four-game losing streak.
Even as the Wings earned nine of 12 points on a West Coast road trip, fans did not want to get too excited. Detroit benefited from playing two of the worst teams in hockey in the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames, along with the flailing Chicago Blackhawks.
Now, after a revenge win against the New York Islanders, a weekend-sweep of the elite Washington Capitals, and a big victory over the Dallas Stars, it is hard to ignore how good the Red Wings look as they sit atop the Atlantic Division with 47 points. Their success has been a result of two key factors.
John Gibson has officially arrived
Gibson was the most ridiculed member of the Red Wings prior to December and it was easy to see why. He had a .864 save percentage and was one of the worst goaltenders in all of hockey, routinely allowing 4-5 goals every night.
His All-Star years seemed well behind him, then he turned back the clock seemingly overnight. In December, he is 8-0-0 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.12 GAA. He also earned his first two shutouts in the Winged Wheel against the Canucks and Blackhawks.
Outside of the stats, Gibson has given the Wings key saves in critical points of games, something they have not enjoyed since the days of Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard.
He could easily regress back to his pre-December ways, but Gibson maintaining some level of this production is a true game changer for Detroit. His track record suggests he can sustain his December success for the rest of the year.
The Red Wings have depth scoring (finally)
A constant of the Wings’ rebuild has been a lack of depth scoring. Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond have been as reliable as they come offensively, but beyond them it has been quite bleak.
Thankfully, that has improved this season and has hit a peak in December. DeBrincat (14 points) and Raymond (14 points) are still leading in scoring this month. Trailing DeBrincat and Raymond with 13 points and 11 points, respectively, however, is surprisingly Moritz Seider and Andrew Copp.
Although he has long been one of the faces of the franchise, Seider’s offensive output has plateaued since his rookie season due to his focus on defense. He has taken a clear step this year, though, and is in the midst of the best offensive stretch in his career.
In December, Seider has 10 assists and three goals, including a dramatic game-winner against the Capitals in overtime. Since he is still playing stellar defense, Seider has emerged as a Norris contender.
Copp, meanwhile, has rejuvenated his career by centering the second line. He has been an elite playmaker, digging out loose pucks, scoring dirty goals, and making some impressive passes. Copp is also very strong defensively and on face-offs.
Seider and Copp are not the only players stepping up this month. Axel Sandin-Pellikka (eight points) and Emmitt Finnie (seven points) have continued to grow in their rookie seasons. James van Riemsdyk has added six goals as well.
Prior to his injury, Patrick Kane (nine points) was in the midst of a point streak, but call-up John Leonard has filled in admirably for Showtime. He has three points in five games.
Perhaps the most shocking of all is the Red Wings are winning in spite of a quiet month from Larkin. The Captain had just five points before Tuesday night's win over the Stars after pacing the team in scoring through November. If Larkin can return to form and the depth continues to provide, then the Wings will be all but a playoff lock.
Can the Wings keep up the momentum?
With the late-season collapses of recent years, it is easy for Wings fans to think this stretch is merely a mirage. That could very well prove true, but there are several promising factors that show Detroit may actually be this good.
The team is not riding a ridiculously hot power play or goaltender, like in years past. Their power play is still eighth in the league and Gibson has been awesome, but neither has been otherworldly. It is reasonable to expect the offense and Gibson to continue to be effective.
The forward lines are also meshing to a degree not seen from Detroit in several years. The top line continues to thrive and Copp has been a revelation alongside DeBrincat and Kane on the second line, while the third and fourth lines have a strong mix of youth and experience that should only continue to produce.
Additionally, even if players like Copp or Seider level off, the Wings are winning despite so-so production from Larkin, an injured Kane, and a disappointing Marco Kasper. A resurgence from those three will make up for any depth struggles potentially reappearing.
The only concern not answered by this incredible December is on the back end. Seider, ASP, Ben Chiarot, and Simon Edvinsson are strong top pairs, but the bottom pair is still a question mark with players in and out of the lineup.
Considering Sandin-Pellikka and Chiarot are also prone to occasional mistakes, Detroit may need to make a move to shore up the blue line and ensure the team continues trending upward. This December has proven that this Wings team is maybe the best we have seen since 2011 and there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic.