Red Wings unfazed by rugged schedule ahead: 'I don't think we're afraid ... by any means'

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News on Feb 19, 2025

Published in Hockey

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DETROIT — The Red Wings have 27 games left this season and those 27 taken as a whole aren't easy.

In fact, the Wings own the toughest remaining schedule in the NHL, with opponents holding a .587 win percentage.

Included in those games are three against Carolina and two games each against Eastern Conference-leading Washington, Vegas, Minnesota and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.

To end an eight-year streak of missing the playoffs, the Wings are going to earn it navigating through that kind of schedule. They currently hold the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, leading Columbus and Boston by one point each (61-60).

But inside the locker room, the Wings aren't necessarily bothered by the strength of schedule discussion. Parity is a popular buzzword in the NHL, and the Wings have seen that come to fruition over the last several seasons.

"Anyone can beat anyone on any given night," said forward Andrew Copp, repeating a cliche that does ring true. "We played Edmonton real well this year and it's maybe the No. 1 team in the league. (Then) there are some games maybe we shouldn't have lost that we did lose."

Two losses to San Jose and one to Buffalo stand out in that regard.

What the Wings are banking on is the current version of the team, the one that has gone 15-4-1 under Todd McLellan since McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, is a more accurate version of the Wings, and a team capable of navigating the remaining schedule.

"We've been two different teams so far," Copp said. "One before Christmas, and one after Christmas. The one after Christmas has been playing real good and beaten a lot of the top teams in the league.

"Going into (league-leading) Winnipeg and winning, Edmonton and Washington we beat at home, those are three of the top teams in the league that we have beaten. There are games we shouldn't have lost. But I don't think we're afraid of the schedule by any means."

Who these Red Wings are will be determined in these remaining 27 games. They believe an identity hasn't fully been determined or forged yet, but coach Todd McLellan feels it will be by the end of the regular season.

"Who are we? That's going to get answered in the next 27 games," McLellan said. "Are we the October-to-December, or December-to-February (Red Wings)? Who are we? It's not going to be easy or perfect. Are we a playoff team? Close to a playoff team? Or a distant (miss)? We have to figure this out, and part of this is the belief system we've talked about, and develop an identity and playing towards it."

Impressive pace

Sometimes the second day of practice after a long layoff, which the Wings have had with the ongoing 4 Nations Face-Off tournament going on, can be a little difficult for everyone.

But McLellan was pleased with the pace and intensity of Wednesday's practice, almost 24 hours after an enthusiastic return to the ice.

"Usually the second day can be a little tougher than the first; you still have a lot of crap left in your legs from the day before," McLellan said. "The intensity was just as high, and it was designed that way, and they battled to the end.

"No complaints about that. The ice got chewed up pretty quick, so passing was a little ragged, but that's OK because that's like playing late in the game."

The Wings don't have a game until Saturday when they host Minnesota, then entertain Anaheim the next day, before playing in Minnesota again on Tuesday. Three games in four nights, which quickly will get a team back into the swing of things.

"The answer will come Saturday and Sunday to see whether we did what we had to do to prepare," McLellan said.

Ice chips

The Wings wore the game helmets they'll have for the outdoor game March 1 against the Blue Jackets at Ohio Stadium.

The helmet is red, with a white stripe down the middle and dramatic wings on either side.

"Pretty good," said Copp, who played at Michigan and grew up in Ann Arbor. "It took a little to get used to it, seeing it on the ice. It's different than seeing it on the ice."

... McLellan has talked about these four days of practice as a mini-training camp and it certainly has felt like it.

"It's an opportunity to grow our game a little bit, spend more time on concepts that we think we need," McLellan said. "We can go harder in practice in that we don't have to conserve anything, no three games in four nights with travel or anything like that. We've gone hard the last couple of days and we'll begin to taper (heading into the weekend)."

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