The Detroit Red Wings return to action on Dec. 27 when they square off against the Carolina Hurricanes on the road. This one will be the biggest game of the season so far for the Wings, as they are tied with the Hurricanes for most points in the Eastern Conference.
Should Detroit get the best of Carolina, then they'll own more momentum than any other team in the conference at midseason. For a Red Wings team that has seen its fair share of ups and downs this year, first place in the entire conference is a good place to be.
It's not like the Red Wings have had it easy, since just seven points separate them and the seventh-place Buffalo Sabres. The Atlantic may not be the toughest conference in the NHL, but it, so far, has the tightest race, and that might not end anytime soon.
Dylan Larkin heating up again and other Detroit Red Wings tidbits
Yesterday, I wrote about how Dylan Larkin joined an exclusive club that only includes two Red Wings legends. He recently snagged his fifth-straight 20-goal season, and Larkin may not be done yet. If he cruises to 30-plus goals again, he'll also have five-straight 30-goal campaigns.
Max Smith wrote up a great piece on how Todd McLellan has "remolded the Red Wings" since he arrived this time last season. McLellan took over a team that wasn't deep and had no direction, but it hasn't stopped him from transforming the Red Wings into one of the NHL's better groups as of late December.
If the Red Wings keep winning, they need to get deeper at the blue line. Bob Heyrman outlined four potential blueliners the Wings must start considering trading for right now as the trade deadline countdown begins.
The Detroit Red Wings haven't been this awesome in a while
The Red Wings may have been awesome this December, and that trend might keep up. Regardless, the last time the Wings looked this good in the last month of the calendar year came in 2011. Drew Dykowski made some comparisons between then and now, and it's worth the read.
And finally, Max Smith also wrote up how the Red Wings' goaltenders officially reversed roles in December. John Gibson started winning and playing in vintage form, while Cam Talbot went from solid to struggling.
That's it for today, and we'll have more on the upcoming Red Wings-Hurricanes matchup in the next News Roundup edition. Have a great Friday.