The Detroit Red Wings never signed up for "moral victories," given their overall dominance this season. But you can't help but think Tuesday night's outing vs. the Dallas Stars would've qualified as one. It was a measuring stick type of game; one the Red Wings could use to gauge how good they truly were.
So if they lost a hard-fought battle vs. Dallas, the second-best team in hockey, few would've batted an eye. Would the fans have been disappointed? For sure. But it didn't mean the Wings were about to fall on hard times again following the Christmas break when midseason officially arrived.
Instead, Dylan Larkin made sure the Wings entered the mini-break with a win and 47 points on the season. That ties them with the Carolina Hurricanes as the best team in the Eastern Conference if we're strictly talking about points. Sure, the 'Canes have two games in hand, but why spoil the fun? Not when the Wings, in their 100th season, are doing this.
It was only a matter of time before Dylan Larkin played the hero role again
Some still consider Dylan Larkin the best player on the Red Wings, but Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond have been the team's top scorers while Moritz Seider has also gone on a point-producing odyssey.
Yet this is where great players shine: When there are just over four minutes to go, and you sink a power-play goal to tie the game off helpers from Raymond and the grizzled veteran, James van Riemsdyk. Then, you come back in overtime and pot the game-winner, this time with Raymond and Seider pitching in.
When you're wearing the "C" on your jersey, and you're smackdab in your prime, this is how you lead. You recognize the situation, you take control, realize the game isn't over yet, and make sure your team heads into the short break with momentum and a lead in the division.
John Gibson sets a new career-best and as his stock keeps skyrocketing
John Gibson finished the game with just a 0.864 save percentage. The good news? Gibson made 19 saves on 22 shots on goal, so that 0.864 percentage is misleading. He did just enough to keep the Red Wings competitive, and he secured his eighth straight win in the process.
Oh, and how does this quote sound from NHL.com's Dave Hogg: "John Gibson made 19 saves to extend his winning streak to a career-best eight games. It is the longest streak by a Red Wings goalie since Chris Osgood also won eight straight in 2007-08."
2007-08 was an awesome time to be a Red Wings fan, just as 2025-26 is also shaping up to be a great time to back those wearing the Winged Wheel. We'll see if Gibson and the Wings keep up this remarkable play when they reconvene, but for now, they have a few reasons to celebrate.