The Detroit Red Wings are no longer just hoping to stay in the playoff conversation - they’re earning their place in it. With 30 games left in the regular season, this team isn’t coasting. They’re grinding, evolving, and showing the kind of resilience that suggests they’re built for more than just a strong stretch run.
Head coach Todd McLellan isn’t letting anyone take a shift off - and the players are responding. “Equate it to a boxing match,” McLellan said.
“If you drop your guard, and somebody throws a big punch at you, it will take you a while to get off the mat. That’s not what we want.
We want to build our game, day in and day out.”
That mindset has become a defining trait of this Wings squad. The message is clear: Respect is earned, but it comes with expectations.
And McLellan is holding his group to that standard. “The resiliency in the group, and the belief, is where it needs to be now,” he said.
“With that respect we’ve earned, it comes with responsibility - and that’s a tough thing to hold up to. But I expect our guys to do it, night in and night out.”
It’s not just talk - the results are showing up on the ice. One of the biggest reasons Detroit has stayed competitive?
Goaltending. It’s been a stabilizing force, giving the team a backbone to lean on when games tighten up.
Whether it’s making the timely save or holding down the fort during momentum swings, the netminders have delivered.
But it’s more than just strong play between the pipes. This team has undergone a culture shift since McLellan and assistant coach Trent Yawney arrived just over a year ago.
The structure is tighter. The compete level is higher.
And perhaps most importantly, the message from the top hasn’t wavered - stay hungry.
Patrick Kane, who’s seen his share of elite locker rooms, sees something special brewing in Detroit. “Not getting comfortable - that’s one thing Todd has really done this year,” Kane said.
“He’s staying on top of us every day, whether it’s practice day or game day, and making sure we’re as ready as possible. He really deserves a lot of credit for that.”
And Kane’s not just handing out compliments - he’s buying in. “The team is playing so well,” he added.
“That’s what I tell some of these guys, I’m like, ‘I’ve been on good teams, and this is a good team. We have a chance to do special things.’”
With 30 games to go, the road ahead won’t be easy. The schedule will test them.
The standings will tighten. But this version of the Red Wings isn’t backing down.
They’re embracing the grind, leaning into the pressure, and showing signs of a team that’s not just trying to make the playoffs - they’re trying to make noise once they get there.
And if they keep playing like this, they just might.