When the puck dropped on the 2024-25 season, Pink Wings followers had 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 upset by a sluggish begin and a dropping report.
Nevertheless, it is now doable after a latest offensive explosion, together with scoring six targets in a 6-4 win over the Flyers on Wednesday night time, indicators 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 aim and an help every and Dylan Larkin added two factors off a pair of helpers.
However even after the win, the Pink Wings solely personal a 13-14-4 report, which is simply ok for sixth within the Atlantic Division. However to Detroit’s credit score, it has now received three out of its final 4 video games. The Pink Wings have additionally tallied six, 4 and 6 targets in these three wins.
In fact, the difficulty is that this present scorching steak adopted a five-game dropping skid that dates again to the tip of November.
A significant a part of why the Pink Wings had 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 remaining sport of the season.
Kane, specifically, only has four goals and 13 factors to date this season. In actual fact, the final time Kane scored a aim earlier than Wednesday night time 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 targets and register 47 factors in 50 video games after signing with Detroit final season.
To totally paint the image of what Detroit has acquired from its high gamers, Larkin, its captain, has 12 targets, granted he hasn’t despatched one by a goalie since Nov. 21.
So not solely has Detroit been successful recently, however it’s getting essential manufacturing from its high gamers. And whereas crawling out of this gap will not be simple, it may be doable if the Pink Wings can hold 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 Pink 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.