Five games into the fresh NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings might be the hottest team in the league.
This team has brought their fans excitement and hopes of a push for the playoffs.
The Red Wings have not made the playoffs in over nine years. This has to be at the top of their vision board this year.
According to right wing Lucas Raymond this is a “do or die” season. The sights are clear. This team needs to taste the playoffs — it has been too long.
Many fans are calling this season the “double digit disco,” since this is the centennial season for the Red Wings plus it would be the tenth year that the Red Wings have not made the playoffs.
The Red Wings once made the playoffs 25 years in a row — tied for the third longest streak in NHL history — and they are desperate to creep right back into their winning ways and into the Stanley Cup dance. This is the time.
After losing their season opener, the Red Wings are already on a hot start. Their record sits at 4-1 as of Oct. 19 — first in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The season started at home with a horrific 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadians, but the Wings bounced back with two straight wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs — game one was a 6-3 Wings victory at home and game two was a 3-2 road win in Toronto.
The Red Wings faced the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in their fourth game of the season. The Red Wings dominated 4-1 to win their third straight.
On Oct. 17, Detroit faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at home and beat them in 2-1 overtime off of a Dylan Larkin goal for their fourth straight victory.
Overall, the team has 16 goals through the season and 25 assists, averaging 3.2 goals a game.
On the goaltending side, the Red Wings have saved 121 shots of the 133 they have faced, with a save percentage of 91%.
Individually, Mason Appleton and captain Dylan Larkin have three goals each. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond follow close behind with two goals apiece. The Red Wings rookie, Axel Sandin Pellikka, scored his first career goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex DeBrincat leads the Red Wings with 6 assists.
In the net, John Gibson, who the Wings traded for, has struggled early, but Cam Talbot has stepped up and been the savior for the Red Wings. Talbot has had 82 saves with a save percentage of 93% in 202 minutes on the ice.
Red Wings fans have been given a lot to be excited about, and reason to be optimistic going forward. The Red Wings are tough, well-coached and meshing together as a team. They could be legitimate contenders for a Stanley Cup.
The last domino to fall in the Detroit sports revival, the Red Wings are ready to step back into the spotlight. For Lions, Tigers and Pistons fans looking to rally behind another quality team, the Red Wings are ready to make their bid and prove that there’s no weak link in Detroit anymore.