The Red Wings are heading into tonight’s opener of a four-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche with a clear sense that this stretch matters.
Detroit sits at 7-7-3, and after three losses in its last four games, the margin for error is starting to shrink. Todd McLellan said the Wings have put themselves in position in games before, but the next step is finishing them.
“We can’t shoot ourselves in the foot in these games if we put ourselves in a good position to win,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “We’ve got to find ways to close it out, which we’ve done in Florida, done in Edmonton against some really good teams.”
That message lands at a time when the lineup and the bigger picture both feel unsettled. Dylan Larkin is carrying a heavy load, younger players are being asked to handle key roles, Simon Edvinsson’s situation remains uncertain and Shawn Horcoff is in charge as interim general manager.
Detroit has been competitive early, but the concern is obvious: the Red Wings do not want last season’s bad habits creeping back in. This road trip offers a chance to steady things before the schedule turns friendlier. After these four games, the Wings will have only five more road games among their next 16 before Christmas.
The aim is simple enough. Get through this stretch in decent shape, then use the upcoming run to build momentum.
“We have to get off to good starts,” McLellan said. “We need some production again from key people.
When they get their looks and touches they are going to have to produce. Our penalty kill has been improving.
It’s going to have to stay at that level and our power play is going to have to get us something.”
While Detroit tries to sort out its own path, there’s also encouraging news coming from Grand Rapids.
The Griffins are riding a nine-game points streak at 8-0-0-1, and several prospects have been right in the middle of it. In a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Admirals, Dylan James had a goal and an assist, while Carter Bear picked up two assists.
Trey Augustine was sharp again, stopping 25 shots to improve to 4-1-2. His numbers now sit at a 2.66 GAA and a .907 save percentage, the kind of line that makes a prospect stand out.
Bear has also made a fast impression, posting three goals and nine assists for 12 points in his first 11 AHL games. He’s plus-9. Sutter Muzzatti added a goal as he returned from the injured list.
Dominik Shine chipped in a goal and an assist as well, giving him 240 career points with Grand Rapids. That moved him past Travis Richards for second place on the franchise’s all-time points list. Michal Picard remains the leader with 380.
In Other News...
Red Wings Just Exposed A Bigger Problem On This Road Trip
The Red Wings road trip hit another rough patch in Denver, where Colorado rolled to a 4-0 win at Ball Arena and made the game feel lopsided long before the final horn. Detroit never found much of an offensive rhythm, and the Avalanche kept the pressure on with a special-teams edge that turned a manageable night into a chase the visitors could not catch.
Daniil Tarasov was left to absorb the damage behind a skidding lineup, while Andrew Copp and Moritz Seider were among the Detroit names trying to help steady things as the game slipped away. Instead, the momentum swung hard in Colorados favor in the second period, and with Martin Necas, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar all involved in the scoring, the bigger concern for the Red Wings was how quickly one bad stretch exposed the same kinds of issues that can sink a road trip. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Rookie Is Already Changing The Team's Identity
Michael Brandsegg-Nygrds rise has given the Red Wings a different kind of edge this season, one that goes beyond the box score. After spending time in the AHL to sharpen his game, the Norwegian forward came back to Detroit and quickly carved out a real role, producing 10 points in 17 games while bringing a physical presence that has stood out every night.
Todd McLellan has been especially taken with the way Brandsegg-Nygrd plays, praising the rookies style and the effect it has had on the teams identity. For a club trying to build something sturdier and harder to play against, that kind of impact from a young forward matters, and it helps explain why his return has become one of the more encouraging developments in Detroits season. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Larkin Standoff Is Becoming A Red Wings Problem
Dylan Larkins trade situation has gone from a narrow list to a much wider one, but the market still has not moved in Detroits favor. The Red Wings captain has opened things up to 10 teams, and clubs such as Buffalo, Montreal, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Boston have all been linked to the discussion, yet the offers coming back have not apparently been enough to satisfy Detroit.
What makes this more complicated is that Larkin has not broadened the list any further, leaving the two sides in a standoff with no easy next step. The tension has taken on a personal edge, with disappointment on both sides and even former players weighing in, and for the Red Wings the issue now feels bigger than one transaction because it is starting to hang over the teams larger direction. [Read more 🡒]