Yahoo Sports Revealing Red Wings Move Of The Year
What a difference a few weeks makes.
Before Christmas, the Detroit Red Wings were struggling with a 13-16-4 record. They were in the Eastern Conference basement with the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens.
They averaged 2.55 goals per game (28th overall in the NHL) and 3.18 goals against per game (9th worst).
Since the coaching change, the team has become the hottest in the league. That's why replacing Derek Lalonde with Todd McLellan is their best move this year.
One Win Streak Turnaround
The new coach bump is real. It's well-documented that a team will experience a surge of strong play with a new coach. Many factors go into this. The players want to prove themselves to a new group of decision-makers and show what they can do.
It looks like that is happening across the board right now.
The team is on a seven-game win streak, the longest active winning streak. In these eight games, the team has registered a powerplay goal in every single game.
-Seven straight wins
-Longest win streak for the franchise since January 2012
-Two points shy of a Wild Card spot
-7-1-0 under head coach Todd McLellan
The @DetroitRedWings are playing some great hockey right now 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1gw0AnlRHJ— NHL (@NHL) January 12, 2025
They previously dwelled in the basement, and now they are two points outside the second Eastern Conference Wild Card position.
Here are some of the Red Wings team stats since the coaching change:
2nd-best record
50% powerplay
4.13 Goals For Per Game (2nd-highest)
2.75 Goals Against Per Game (14th-best)
55.9 Faceoff Percentage (1st)
It's been a night and day difference for the team.
Unlocked Key Players
The team as a whole has transformed. However, a few key players, specifically Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin, have exploded since the change.
Kane is in a four-way tie for the most points since Christmas. He has five goals and eight assists for 13 points. He has seven powerplay points and 21 shots in 17:27 per game of ice time.
Larking is shooting the lights out with 34 shots in eight games. He's only accumulated 11 points, but the shot volume is a welcomed sight for the Red Wings. He's always been a volume shooter, so seeing him shoot 4.25 shots per game over this stretch should have fans cheering.
No one has a crystal ball that can see into the future to discover how this all pans out, but things look fantastic for the Red Wings.
What a difference a few weeks makes, indeed.
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