For Detroit Red Wings fans, there may be no scarier month than December.
Since the Red Wings returned to competitiveness in 2022-23, they have never had a winning record in the month of December. They were 5-6-2 in 2022-23, 5-9-1 in 2023-24, and 5-7-2 in 2024-25.
In all three seasons, the putrid Decembers erased promising starts to the year and aided in the Wings missing the playoffs. Last year, the poor performance led to head coach Derek Lalonde losing his job by the end of the month.
This year, the Red Wings’ consistency issues have not done much to ease concerns of what December could bring. They entered the month on a four-game losing streak and were just 5-7-2 in what was supposed to be an easier November. This means they do not have the point cushion they had in years past and cannot afford another bad December in the loaded Atlantic Division.
Thankfully, they started the month well on Tuesday night, defeating the Boston Bruins 5-4. The offense and effort were improved. Despite allowing four goals, the struggling John Gibson looked better between the pipes as well.
The victory gave the Wings 30 points, tying them with the Ottawa Senators for third in the Atlantic. However, they are only five points above the eighth-place Florida Panthers, meaning there is plenty of room for a drop-off.
The Red Wings’ December schedule features a mix of easier opponents and hockey powerhouses. Winning the games they are supposed to and scratching points away from the stiffer competition could very well be the difference between making the playoffs and not.
Here are this month’s five pivotal games as the Red Wings try to eradicate their December demons.
Seattle Kraken - Saturday, Dec. 6
Kicking off the west-coast swing of their six-game road trip, the Red Wings will travel to Seattle to take on the Kraken on Saturday.
The Kraken have 28 points and are an improved team from last year. New head coach Lane Lambert has them playing a more defensive-focused game, and goaltender Joey Daccord (.902 save percentage and 2.68 GAA) has had a strong season so far.
Seattle does lack offense, however. They do not have a double-digit goal scorer yet and Jaden Schwartz leads their team with 15 points.
The Red Wings may only be two points better than the Kraken, but they are a significantly better team on paper. Detroit’s top five scorers all have more points than Schwartz. They have also already proven they can crack Seattle’s stout defense, beating them 4-2 on Nov. 18th.
Regardless of whether Gibson or Cam Talbot are in net, the Kraken offense should not prove to be too challenging for the Wings’ inconsistent goalie tandem.
Road trips take a toll on teams, so banking points early against a weaker Seattle team is a must for Detroit.
Vancouver Canucks - Monday, Dec. 8
Either this game against the Canucks or the Wings following game against the Calgary Flames on Dec. 10 could have gone in this spot. The Canucks and Flames have probably been the two worst teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) this season, so both games are must-wins for the Red Wings.
The Canucks game has a little extra motivation than the Flames, which ultimately earned it this spot. Rumors have begun swirling this week that Detroit may be a top landing spot for Vancouver captain Quinn Hughes, if he becomes available via trade.
Prior to becoming one of the best defensemen in hockey, Hughes grew up in Michigan, attended the University of Michigan, and still resides in the state during the offseason. His connection and love for the area is pretty clear.
Quinn may still end up in New Jersey playing with his brothers, Jack and Luke, but Detroit remains a viable candidate for his services.
Perhaps the Red Wings destroying the lowly Canucks would be the final straw and Hughes requests a trade to his hometown Wings. It would be reminiscent of the 11-1 drubbing by the Red Wings against the Montreal Canadiens in 1995 that led to Patrick Roy demanding a trade to the Colorado Avalanche.
Trade speculation and dream scenarios aside, the Red Wings need to take care of business against the incompetent Canucks (and Flames), especially with their schedule getting harder at the end of the month.
New York Islanders - Tuesday, Dec. 16
After their games against the Canucks and Flames, the Red Wings have a four-game stretch against relatively equal competition. They play the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Islanders, and Utah Mammoth. Each team is within three points of Detroit’s current point total.
While all games are critical for the Wings, the Islanders game is just a little more important. New York is the only Eastern Conference team of the group, so there are direct playoff implications.
The Red Wings have also been embarrassed by the Islanders twice already this year. They lost 7-2 on Oct. 23 and 5-0 on Nov. 20.
New York has been a pretty average team this year, which makes the dominant wins a little surprising. Bo Horvat leads the team with 27 points and rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer has impressed. Goalie Ilya Sorokin has also mostly returned to form, posting a .905 save percentage and a 2.57 GAA.
Still, the Red Wings are talented enough to beat the Islanders, or at the very least not lose by five goals. As has been the case for much of the season, the offense and goaltending will need to be more consistent to solve the Islanders.
New York has clearly had Detroit’s number this season. A win here would not only be a source of revenge, but also prove that the Red Wings have improved over the course of the year. It is a pivotal matchup in the Eastern Conference playoff race as well.
Washington Capitals - Sunday, Dec. 21
To conclude December, the Red Wings have a bit of a gauntlet, which makes the games at the start of the month that more important. They face the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals twice, followed by the always elite Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars.
Realistically, Detroit will be happy if they go 1-2-1 or even 1-3-0 during this stretch. Their best chance at a win is probably their second game against the Capitals.
Washington and Detroit are playing a back-to-back, home-and-home series. The second game in a back-to-back usually favors the lesser opponent, which is the Wings in this case. Tired bodies and mental fatigue lead to a sloppier game where skill means less and determination means more.
The Wings will also have the benefit of playing in front of their home crowd for the latter half of the back-to-back.
Although there are factors going in Detroit’s favor, Washington is still a very tough team. Tom Wilson (30 points), Alex Ovechkin (29 points), Jakob Chychrun (24 points), John Carlson (23 points), and Dylan Strome (22 points) have all been spectacular. The Red Wings will need to be on their A-game to earn this upset victory.
Toronto Maple Leafs - Sunday, Dec. 28
The final two contests of December for the Red Wings are against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. Despite their strong rosters, the Leafs and Jets have been disappointing this year, each having 27 points.
The Jets and Maple Leafs could find their groove over the course of December and make these very difficult matchups for the Wings. Or, they could continue to struggle and give Detroit an opportunity to win against a floundering opponent.
Similar to the rationale around the Islanders, the contest against the Maple Leafs is more important because of the playoff implications. Whether Toronto fully figures it out or not, they will likely be battling with Detroit for third place in the Atlantic or a wild card spot until the end of the season.
These Original Six matchups always mean a little bit more too, especially when it's the Leafs during the Wings’ centennial season.
Detroit and Toronto have already played each other twice with the Red Wings winning both times. The Wings dominated the Leafs 6-2 on Oct. 11. This was followed by a 3-2 nailbiting victory on Oct. 13, thanks to 38 saves by Talbot and a last minute goal by Mason Appleton.
In order to earn their third win against their rival, the Wings will need to find a way to neutralize William Nylander (32 points) and John Tavares (29 points). They will also need to hope that superstar Auston Matthews (18 points) continues his quiet season.
There is no better way to punctuate the end of a month like a win against the hated Maple Leafs, and the Red Wings have already proven twice this year that they can do it.