Once the Detroit Red Wings return from the Winter Olympic break, they will be back on their journey to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Given that they have been firmly in the mix, they don't have too much to do in their remaining 24 games. While clinching a spot will be great, they will need to focus on what seed they ultimately get in the playoffs.
While still in the running for first place in the Atlantic Division, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a pretty commanding six point lead at the Olympic break, and they are on fire, winning eight of their last 10 games. The Red Wings are currently tied for second in the division with the Montreal Canadiens. Let's not forget that in the playoffs, it's primarily a division bracket, barring winning a Wild Card spot. So, who would the Red Wings and their fanbase be rooting for?
The Athletic's Max Bultman answered questions from Red Wings fans in the latest edition of his mailbag (subscription required). After one fan asked who the Red Wings would match up best against in the playoffs, Bultman says that it would be either the Buffalo Sabres or Canadiens.
"...I think the Sabres and Canadiens are probably the ideal matchups out of that group. Both are young teams who don’t play smothering defense and have less certainty in goal," writes Bultman.
"They’re also both fast, and exposed the Red Wings’ early-season game management issues in October. But a lot has changed for Detroit since then (both with goaltender John Gibson and the team defense in front of him), and for a Red Wings team that struggles to score at five-on-five, playing against less-seasoned rosters would help."
The Athletic says best Red Wings playoff opponents would be Canadiens, Sabres
Bultman brings up good points in the flaws of both the Sabres and Canadiens.
Montreal are one of the top scoring teams in the league, as evidenced by their 3.46 goals for per game average (third-highest in NHL). However, they do allow 3.21 goals per game, 10th highest average in the NHL. Goaltending ha been a major issues for Montreal this season, with Sam Montembault hasn't panned out this season, as he has a 10-8-2 record, a 3.34 goals allowed average, and a .875 save percentage through 23 games. Jakub Dobes has played better, putting up a 18-5-4 record and a 2.96 goals allowed average. However, his save percentage is less than ideal at .892.
As for the Sabres, they have a top 10 offense in terms of goals scored per game (3.37). They are middle of the pack defensively (3.09 goals allowed average, 16th in NHL). Their goaltending has really shined entering the Olympic break, especially Alex Lyon, who has a 2.72 goals allowed average and a .913 save percentage through 27 games.
Those would be the ideal picks, because other potential first-round opponents for the Red Wings would be the Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning, as mentioned, are on fire and boast Vezina Trophy favorite Andrei Vasilevskiy and Hart Trophy candidate Nikita Kucherov. As for the Hurricanes, they may not have the star power, but they are consistently one of the better teams in hockey. They've shown, regardless of who's on the roster, they are a hard out from the playoffs.
The Red Wings are in good position to make it into the playoffs. But if they want to compete for one of the top seeds in the Atlantic Divsiion, they will need to make a push for additions by the March 6 trade deadline. It's already known that the Red Wings are expected to be looking for a second line center and a right shot defenseman, both with term remaining on their contracts. If they do land one or both, that could help their odds of securing a better spot in the playoffs.