The Detroit Red Wings have been incredible since that blowout season-opening loss to the Montreal Canadiens. And head coach Todd McLellan revealed what is making the Wings fire on all cylinders.
Following the big win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, McLellan said, "I don’t think there’s a secret sauce. Our goalies are giving us a chance every game, we’re not giving up 40-45 shots against, and the penalty kill has improved. When all that happens, you get a little more confident.”
No, there's a 'secret sauce' here, and it's called playing adequate defense. Something McLellan revealed in the above quote. Last season, the Wings' defense was awful. They finished 21st in the league with 259 goals allowed, their penalty kill was a historically-bad 70.11 percent, and their blue line had a bad habit of leaving their goaltenders out to dry.
So far, a lot has changed heading into Sunday's game against Edmonton. The Wings sat at fifth in goals allowed with 12, and their penalty kill was a stellar 91.67 percent. Tack on the fact they allowed just 133 shots on goal all season, and you can see why teams not named the Canadiens can't score on them.
Cam Talbot is playing like a man 10 years younger than his actual age, and John Gibson has stepped up following a rough debut. If you're a Red Wings fan, you'll be having flashbacks to the late 1990s and 2000s if this keeps up.
The Detroit Red Wings look unbeatable right now
Best yet, the Wings have found ways to win throughout this points streak when they weren't on top of their game. They didn't have a great outing against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 13, but still managed to hold the Leafs in check while doing just enough to win.
And when they found their groove, like in victories over the Florida Panthers on October 15 and in Sunday's matchup against Edmonton? Not even the best teams in hockey can beat them.
The only concern is that they don't play down to anyone. Detroit, given how poorly they started off the season, shouldn't have beaten the Maple Leafs twice, the Florida Panthers, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Oilers. That was a true gauntlet, so can they do the same against lesser competition?
Wings fans won't wait long to find out, as they have the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders coming up. Two teams that may be in the running for Gavin McKenna come June 2026.