Red Wings Return from Olympic Break with Eyes on Ending Playoff Drought
The break is over. It's back to work for the Detroit Red Wings.
While Dylan Larkin (USA), Moritz Seider (Germany), and Lucas Raymond (Sweden) continue representing their countries on Olympic ice, the rest of the Red Wings are lacing up again at Belfor Training Center. After a much-needed pause following a grueling first half of the season, the team now shifts its focus to the stretch run - and a legitimate shot at snapping a nine-year playoff drought.
Detroit hasn’t hit the ice since a 4-1 loss in Utah back on February 4. Since then, most of the roster has taken advantage of the downtime to rest, recharge, and - for some - chase a little sunshine. But with the Olympic break wrapping up, head coach Todd McLellan and his staff are wasting no time getting the group back into rhythm.
McLellan is calling this return a “mini-training camp,” and it’s easy to see why. After a long layoff, getting players back in game shape is priority number one. That means reestablishing structure, sharpening systems, and dialing in the focus for what promises to be a high-stakes final push.
“We'll review our structure, get them skating and focused again,” McLellan said. “Because what we just went through to get to this point is going to happen all over again.”
And what they’ve gone through so far has been impressive.
The Red Wings sit at 72 points (33-19-6), tied with Montreal for second place in the Atlantic Division. Montreal holds the tiebreaker with one fewer game played, and Tampa Bay leads the pack, six points ahead.
In the wild card race, Detroit has a slight cushion. They’re ahead of Buffalo (70 points) and Boston (69 points), both of whom have a game in hand, and hold a seven-point edge over Columbus - the first team currently on the outside looking in - though Columbus has played two fewer games.
Translation: Detroit is in a strong position, but there’s no room to coast.
“We put ourselves in a real good spot,” McLellan said. “We've worked really hard as a team.
Every player that's been in the lineup has given us something on any given night. We control what happens to our hockey club and that's all you can ask for.”
That level of accountability has been a trademark of this Red Wings group. From veterans anchoring the lineup to young stars like Raymond and Seider continuing their development on the biggest stages - now including the Olympics - Detroit has shown a level of consistency and resilience that’s eluded them in recent years.
Once the Olympic trio returns, the Red Wings will face a tough test right out of the gate. The schedule picks up with a three-game road trip starting February 26 in Ottawa, followed by matchups against Carolina (Feb. 28) and Nashville (March 2). And the road doesn’t get any easier - 13 of the team’s remaining 24 games are away from home.
That stretch is going to test depth, conditioning, and mental toughness. But if the Red Wings can pick up where they left off, they’ve got a real shot to end nearly a decade of playoff frustration.
The break is over. Now comes the sprint - and Detroit is right in the thick of it.