When the puck dropped on the 2024-25 season, Crimson Wings followers have been anticipating, and virtually demanding, for this to lastly be the yr to see Detroit again within the playoffs. However as an alternative of interested by competing for the Stanley Cup once more, followers have been left disenchanted by a sluggish begin and a shedding report.
Nevertheless, it is now doable after a current offensive explosion, together with scoring six objectives in a 6-4 win over the Flyers on Wednesday evening, alerts Detroit nonetheless has life and there is hope for this season but.
Detroit’s win over Philadelphia was fueled by its stars, too. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond each recorded a objective and an help every and Dylan Larkin added two factors off a pair of helpers.
However even after the win, the Crimson Wings solely personal a 13-14-4 report, which is simply adequate for sixth within the Atlantic Division. However to Detroit’s credit score, it has now gained three out of its final 4 video games. The Crimson Wings have additionally tallied six, 4 and 6 objectives in these three wins.
In fact, the difficulty is that this present sizzling steak adopted a five-game shedding skid that dates again to the top of November.
A serious a part of why the Crimson Wings have been struggling a lot is that they weren’t getting sufficient from gamers they relied on throughout their late-season surge final yr that resulted in falling just shy of making the playoffs and never being eradicated till their last sport of the season.
Kane, specifically, only has four goals and 13 factors up to now this season. The truth is, the final time Kane scored a objective earlier than Wednesday evening was on Nov. 13 in Pittsburgh.
And whereas it may be unreasonable to rely too closely on a a 36-year-old participant, even one as completed as Kane, he did internet 20 objectives and register 47 factors in 50 video games after signing with Detroit final season.
To completely paint the image of what Detroit has acquired from its high gamers, Larkin, its captain, has 12 objectives, granted he hasn’t despatched one by a goalie since Nov. 21.
So not solely has Detroit been profitable these days, but it surely’s getting needed manufacturing from its high gamers. And whereas crawling out of this gap will not be simple, it may be doable if the Crimson Wings can maintain getting manufacturing from their star gamers.
Up subsequent, Detroit has back-to-back video games with Montreal earlier than dealing with the Blues, Maple Leafs, Capitals and Penguins, a string of groups the Crimson Wings want to begin knocking off as they hope to climb up the standings and into playoff positioning for the stretch run within the spring.