Red Wings And Bruins Could Be Stuck Behind The Pack Next Season As Well
Elias Lindholm and Dylan Larkin (Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images)Flash back to September, when the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins geared up to take a step forward. Six months later, they’re slipping.
The Montreal Canadiens pushed past the Red Wings and Bruins in the standings at the beginning of March. In the final full week of the month, Montreal now has a five-point lead on Detroit and a six-point lead on Boston, with three games in hand on the Bruins. The Wings and B’s suffered losses again during the weekend, and not only have they let their playoff hopes slip away, but they could be stuck behind the pack again next season.
There were times this season when the Bruins and Red Wings looked like playoff teams. The Bruins got off to a 15-11-3 record, while the Red Wings went on a 15-3-1 streak after changing coaches on Boxing Day. But as the season continued to unfold, Detroit and Boston’s true colors began to show – but not in a positive way.
Since Feb. 4, the Wings are 4-10-1. And since Dec. 28, the Bruins went 10-18-5. They’re both below average in goals-for per game since Feb. 4 and among the top nine clubs with the most goals against per game.
It’s a sad sight for the Bruins, which finished second in the Atlantic Division last year and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, and the Red Wings, which missed out on the playoffs in 2023-24 because of a tie-breaking procedure. They look much worse this time, and they now don’t look great for making the playoffs next season, either.
The Atlantic Division's big storyline in the past couple of years has been which clubs suffering lengthy post-season droughts could overcome a perennial playoff team. Boston’s failures this season allowed the Ottawa Senators to potentially end their playoff drought, and the rebuilding Canadiens might squeak into the post-season ahead of the underperforming New York Rangers.
Detroit looked likely at one point to join the Ottawa Senators as Atlantic Division clubs taking the next step into playoff contention. They now likely squandered that opportunity and are stuck where they were with the Buffalo Sabres as teams that haven’t figured out how to exit their rebuilds. The Bruins can now retool and reset for next season, but there’s no guarantee they can re-emerge.
The Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Maple Leafs aren't going anywhere. The Senators and Canadiens are on the rise and likely to be even better next year. The Sabres have nowhere to go but up next season. Boston and Detroit could improve as well, but they’re not in a good spot, that’s for sure.
There’s still a chance the Red Wings and Bruins will surprise people next season. But what seems more likely is they wind up exactly where they are today – out of a playoff spot, in the mushy middle of the Eastern standings and not close to having a top pick at the next NHL draft.
It will be tough sledding for the foreseeable future in Beantown and Motown, and barring a miracle, that’s how it will stay until further notice.
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