The New York Islanders' victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets realigned the playoff picture, and, for the first time in months, the Detroit Red Wings are on the outside looking in. Just two months prior, the Red Wings had a 10 point cushion in the playoff picture. Now, with a multitude of teams heating up and Detroit coming up short, the Red Wings are back to fighting for a wild card spot.
It certainly doesn't help that the Red Wings are sorely missing captain Dylan Larkin. It doesn't help that they couldn't find an answer to Jeremy Swayman in Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins. But, if losing a single player is enough to kick you out of playoff contention, did you truly have a good team to begin with? This offseason, general manager Steve Yzerman has some serious questions he'll need to answer about the long-term construction of this roster.
First, they'll need to fight their way back to a playoff spot.
Red Wings schedule far from easy moving forward
This week, the Red Wings face off against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, the red-hot Buffalo Sabres on Friday and the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday. Two teams - the Senators and Sabres - are division rivals. One holds a substantial lead on the division, while the other is actively clawing their way toward a playoff spot. The Flyers, on the other hand, are in a strange position. They, too, appear to be fighting for a Wild Card spot, but currently sit five points out of a playoff spot.
Over the course of the next 12 games, the Red Wings and the Flyers will face off three times.
These games are imperative to Detroit's success. Win all three, and they'll find themselves comfortably back in the playoff picture. If they can't manage a single win this week, however, the chances of a playoff appearance will drop to the lowest it's been all season. The Red Wings' performance over the next few games will determine their outlook on the rest of the season.
Detroit must depend on depth to succeed
Alex DeBrincat has accounted for seven points over Detroit's last three games. Patrick Kane has four points in that period. Lucas Raymond joined the party during Saturday's game, scoring a huge power play goal early on. Both wins against Calgary and Montreal required the success of star players to end the night with a win.
But the difference between an average team and a great team is depth. In order to truly show they're ready for the playoffs, the depth needs to step up. The Red Wings need more out of Marco Kasper, who hasn't produced a point in his last five games. Recent deadline acquisition Justin Faulk hasn't shown up on the scoresheet since his game against the Florida Panthers on March 10. Jacob Bernard-Docker was worked over on almost every shift against the Bruins.
To put it simply: the depth has to be better to put the Red Wings on top.