The Detroit Red Wings have performed 45 video games thus far and have discovered themselves on a curler coaster kind of season. They at the moment sit tied for fourth in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning and are in the combine for a possible playoff spot come the finish of the season.
At the starting of the season, I made a handful of daring predictions for the workforce as an entire and for a few particular person gamers as properly. How have these predictions formed out with the workforce being simply previous their midway mark?
Alex DeBrincat Tops 50 Goals, 100 Points
To start the season it seemed like this prediction had a extremely good probability of coming true with the Red Wings’ biggest offseason acquisition Alex DeBrincat beginning on hearth. In his first ten video games as a Red Wing, he tallied 9 targets and 13 complete factors whereas serving to lead one in all the league’s finest energy performs (third in the league as much as the Oct. 30 mark).
But as the calendar turned to November and into December, DeBrincat appeared to hit a tough patch and solely tallied seven factors in his subsequent ten video games and located himself sitting as the workforce’s fifth-highest point-scorer adopted by solely six factors from the starting of December till the center mark of the month. With his offensive manufacturing struggling, it additionally mirrored upon the workforce’s success as properly. Over the center 20 video games of the season thus far, the Red Wings went 9-8-3 and the energy play additionally discovered itself struggling.
DeBrincat ended the 2023 calendar yr on a excessive be aware with 12 factors in his remaining 10 video games and reunited with former Chicago Blackhawk teammate Patrick Kane. But as quickly as he acquired again on monitor, the wheels have seemingly fallen again off the tracks as of late. With Kane being out with an injury, DeBrincat has struggled to get his offensive sport going as soon as once more. In his final 5 video games, he has solely tallied two assists.
This prediction nonetheless has a slim probability of coming true if DeBrincat can catch hearth as soon as once more right here quickly however will more than likely not come to fruition. As of this writing, he has 17 targets, 23 assists, and 40 complete factors whereas enjoying in all 45 video games this season for the Red Wings.
Alex Lyon Ends the Season as the No. 2 Goalie
Opposite of the prediction tied to DeBrincat, this prediction began not trying the best as Alex Lyon didn’t discover himself in the crease for the Red Wings till 17 video games into the season. Another offseason acquisition made by normal supervisor Steve Yzerman, Lyon waited his flip to take over the crease and has been capable of reap the benefits of the incontrovertible fact that Ville Husso has been out with an damage as of late and James Reimer struggled to start the season and has taken the reins as the workforce’s starter.
Related: Alex Lyon Is Red Wings’ Best Goalie Option to End Playoff Drought
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Even whether it is simply non permanent till Husso returns, Lyon has seemed each bit the goalie who helped lead the Florida Panthers into the playoffs final season. This prediction has all the makings to grow to be a actuality relying on what Yzerman plans on doing at the commerce deadline with having three goalies. There may very simply be a market for at the very least one in all the three, however with Lyon being on a two-year contract Yzerman may look to hold on to him and transfer Reimer or probably Husso.
Red Wings Make the Playoffs
With the workforce not making the playoffs since 2016, Yzerman took over a roster that was in a lot want of revamping when he returned to the group as its normal supervisor. This season is sort of probably the closest the workforce has been to creating the playoffs since he has returned, thanks partly to the gamers that he has added to the roster together with Shayne Gostisbehere, and Daniel Sprong amongst others.
The Red Wings at the moment discover themselves preventing and jockeying back-and-forth between third place in the Atlantic and a wild card spot and can doubtless proceed to take action as the season treks on. The greatest issue with this prediction coming true comes all the way down to the incontrovertible fact that the workforce has one in all the league’s hardest schedules to complete out the common season.
For the playoff drought to finish, they may want gamers like DeBrincat to get again on monitor, and Lyon to assist maintain down the fort in internet whether or not or not it’s as the full-time starter or splitting time with Husso as soon as he returns. Other elements embody having Kane return from damage and regain his type to assist make a push to the postseason, and who Yzerman decides to maintain on the roster come the commerce deadline with a couple of gamers doubtless having a market for them from different groups.
Exciting Rest of the Season
If the Red Wings can proceed to play the manner they’ve as of late, they need to be capable to get themselves into the playoffs come the finish of the common season and eventually play playoff hockey in Detroit as soon as once more. Mixed in with the aforementioned predictions, the remainder of the 2023-24 common season may find yourself changing into an thrilling one for Red Wings followers.
