The Red Wings will look back at the 2024-25 season and have nobody to blame but themselves for this mess. Once again, they thought they were on their way to a playoff berth and once again, they’ll be wrong.
The second time in as many seasons that has happened and in the grand scope of things, the ninth straight season. But why put that dreaded, infamous ‘E’ beside the Red Wings now? Why not wait until they’ve lost enough games this month or aren’t mathematically capable of breaking into the postseason?
If you’ve seen the remaining games, you’ll know why. As I write this piece, the Wings are preparing to face the St. Louis Blues, arguably the league’s hottest team. Whether or not the Wings beat the Blues, it still doesn’t matter, because again, look at what they’re up against.
Just how infeasible is the Red Wings remaining schedule?
Oh, if there was ever a team doomed from the start in what is the final month of the NHL regular season, it’s the Wings. Beyond the matchup against the Blues, here’s who the Wings got:
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Florida Panthers
- @ Montreal Canadiens
- @ Florida Panthers
- @ Tampa Bay Lightning
- Dallas Stars
- @ New Jersey Devils
- @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Yeah, I could just end this article right now, given that it should go without saying how tough this will be for the Wings. Of all the opponents listed, the Canadiens may be the weakest, a team that is, as of Tuesday, still the Eastern Conference’s second wild card contender. As for the others - again, not counting the Blues - they’re all in the top three of their respective divisions.
They also got a lot of road games coming up to end the 2024-25 season, and the Wings have struggled outside of their home arena with a 15-17-3 record. Yeah, you couldn’t have asked for a worse situation if you’re Detroit, despite a positive vibe or two.
Maybe the lesson will sink in next season for the struggling Red Wings
Last season, we saw a collapse and a late, late-season rebound. This season, we’ve just seen a collapse and not much in the way of a rebound. The obvious lesson surrounding the Red Wings is that if they dig their way into a late-season slump, it’s tough to climb out of them. So, preventive measures must be taken if they find themselves in the top three or in a wild card spot heading into March 2026.
How do they keep playing the same brand of hockey that made them so formidable earlier in the season, and what can they do to keep playing that brand? For one, they need to upgrade the team, something that didn’t happen at the trade deadline, nor did general manager Steve Yzerman do much in the way of upgrades in the summer of 2024.
And for another, they need to play as though they’re one game away from elimination starting on March 1st. Or better yet, after the Olympic break. Yeah, it may be too early for playoff hockey in the eyes of some, but by now, the Red Wings should know better - the earlier they start playing playoff hockey, the better off they are.