If the Detroit Red Wings want to start pulling away in the Atlantic Division, it starts Thursday night. They only need to beat the New York Islanders. Yep, those Islanders who made the Wings look like an AHL team the last time they played against each other.
If you remember it right, the Isles beat the Wings 7-2, and they are no longer the weak wonders some may have thought they were. With Lou Lamoriello gone, the Mathieu Darche Era is in full force, and with it has come a change in identity.
These aren't your slow-moving, win the game by just enough goals Islanders. Nope. This team is seventh in scoring with 64 goals, and they have rallied around rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who has 15 points and seven goals in 20 games.
The Red Wings need to show up defensively if they plan on getting the best of the Isles this time around. Now that they have some much-needed momentum built up and that they're playing this one in Little Caesars Arena, the odds should be in their favor.
Red Wings are pacing most of the East at the quarter-season mark
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski shared something that would interest Red Wings fans: the quarter-season playoff bracket. The Wings are currently leading the herd except for the Carolina Hurricanes, which would put them against the top wild card team if the season ended after their first 20 games.
And guess who they would play? If you said Islanders, then congratulations, you win. But it should give the Wings even more of an incentive to figure out how to beat New York, which is why they need to start cracking the code on Thursday night.
Not that this matchup would take place. With 62 games to go in the season, anything is a possibility. But a Red Wings-Islanders matchup in the playoffs is becoming more of a possibility as both teams improve and look worthy of punching their respective tickets into the postseason.
Dylan Larkin's milestone further cements his value with the Detroit Red Wings
On Tuesday night, Dylan Larkin joined the Red Wings' 600-point club. That makes him the 11th Red Wing to gain entry into this exclusive club, and at the rate he's going, it may not be long until he's in the 700-point club.
With 24 points and 12 goals in 20 games, Larkin is on pace for 98 points and 49 goals this season, which will put him at 674 points if he maintains his current pace. While joining the 700 club may be out of the question in 2025-26 unless Larkin dramatically picks up the pace, there's a good chance he'll be a lock to enter the club in 2026-27.
Either way, Larkin has proven he's the most valuable asset on this Red Wings team. And if the Wings plan on making the playoffs, it will ultimately come down to Larkin staying healthy and playing his high-octane game. Look for him to keep bringing those big numbers.