Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has been a star for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Larkin and the Americans will play in the 4 Nations Final on Thursday night. However, while the captain goes for international acclaim, his Detroit teammates are working with head coach Todd McLellan to prepare for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Wings entered the 4 Nations break as the second Wild Card team in the Eastern Conference. If they hold steady in this position, it would mark Detroit’s first playoff appearance since 2016. It would also be a remarkable turnaround for the club, considering their brutal start to the campaign.
McLellan spoke with the media on Wednesday about his team’s playoff chances. The veteran bench boss did not make any promises for the remainder of the regular season. In fact, he kept his thoughts about the team rather pragmatic.
“Who are we? That’s going to get answered in the next 27 games. Are we October to December, or are we December to February? Who are we? And it’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be perfect. Are we a playoff team? Are we close to a playoff team, or are we distant?” the Red Wings coach said, via a clip shared by Detroit’s social media team.
“We gotta figure all this out. Part of that is the belief system we talked about. Part of that is trying to develop an identity and playing towards it. If they’re saying those things, they’re grabbing messages, that’s a good thing. Doesn’t guarantee us anything moving forward. Just that at this moment, they’re buying in,” he continued.
Red Wings have a lot to overcome ahead of Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Red Wings have certainly played better under Todd McLellan since he became head coach on Boxing Day. They have had two separate seven-game winning streaks. And they went from a few points out of last place into a playoff spot. Their efforts certainly need to be commended.
However, this is still a team that has its work cut out for them. Detroit has one of the worst penalty kills in the NHL, for instance. Moreover, there is an argument to be made that their surge over these last few months has been due to a new coach bump.
Beyond all of that, the Red Wings will run a gauntlet in the second half of the season. Entering play Thursday, Detroit has the hardest remaining strength of schedule in the league, according to Tankathon. Their remaining strength of schedule (.587) is .20 points higher than the second-highest team, the Seattle Kraken (.567).
The Red Wings are trying to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. However, it certainly won’t be easy. McLellan understands the challenge ahead, and it will be intriguing to see how the veteran coach prepares his squad for the tests to come.
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