Red Hot Red Wings

For a city named HockeyTown, it was anything but. The dominance of the Detroit Red Wings throughout the 1990s to 2010s is written in the rafters of Little Caesars Arena. Eleven Stanley Cup wins all time, four between 1997 and 2008.

Those once proud banners are now collecting dust, as the once high gear Redwings are now stuck in neutral. Boasting the second-longest playoff drought in the league at eight seasons.

That doesn’t mean there was no hope, however. The year 2023 saw a hot start with newcomers, including JT Compher and Alex DeBrincat. After a midseason skid, General Manager Steve Yzerman picked up veteran Patrick Kane, and by March, the Red Wings had a 9-point lead in the standings, sitting pretty as the first wild card.

But then, disaster. Superstar and captain Dylan Larkin was injured and out for two weeks. Then started one of the worst collapses in Redwing history.

The next thirteen games saw a complete free fall, with the Wings going 3-8-2, ruining their substantial cushion.

It would all come down to the last game of the season, which saw the Wings win in storybook fashion, tying Montreal with 6 seconds remaining. Tragedy would strike in Philadelphia, however, as the Capitals would beat the Flyers, ending Detroit's season on a somber Patty Kane shootout goal.

During the summer, Detroit fans started to sound like Cowboys fans with the talk of how “this year was our year.” A full year of Patrick Kane and a reliable goaltender in Cam Talbot? Sign me and the rest of Motown up.

But just like the Dallas Cowboys, our dreams were shattered early on in the season. The team looked sluggish and, at times, just straight-up sucked. Having only 2 reliable defenders and the worst power play in the league creates a team with a low ceiling and an even lower ceiling.

A change was needed. After 2 years as the Red Wings head coach, Derrick Ladone was fired on December 26th, 2024. His replacement? Todd McLellan, a former Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers head coach and assistant head coach for the Red Wings in 2008.

McClellan looked to change the culture in Detroit and return them to their days of glory. His first game saw them lose to the Blackhawks, but fans could tell something was different. During his first practice with the team, McLellan would shout a rallying cry for the city of Detroit.

“Play ####### Hockey.” The team started to win again. Three, four, five wins in a row, finishing with a seven-game win streak. Then, it happened again. Another 7-game win streak. The Red Wings were back in the race and gaining on Wild Card teams such as the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

So how did he do it? Instead of the normal dumping and chase scheme the Red Wings of old had used, McLellan focused more on possession, allowing chances to develop while they have the puck instead of forcing them on odd man rushes.

This took less pressure off the defense and helped unlock Patrick Kane, who had been almost unnoticeable in the first part of the season. He also was instrumental in getting young rookies into the action, with Simon Edvinsson, Marco Kasper, and Elmer Söderblom all providing a much-needed boost to this offensive-heavy Red Wings team.

So, what does the future hold for Detroit? As of writing this, Detroit has a four-point cushion at the top of the wild-card standings. They do have the hardest remaining strength of schedule, and it will certainly be an uphill battle. But for how the season has been going, don't be surprised if Hockeytown finds itself back into the playoffs.

Zachary Braithwood is a first-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email ztb5138@psu.edu