From The Silky Mitten State: Detroit's blend of killer instinct from top-end stars and depth throughout the lineup distinguishes this year's playoff push from last year's
From The Silky Mitten State: Detroit's blend of killer instinct from top-end stars and depth throughout the lineup distinguishes this year's playoff push from last year's
A year ago, the Detroit Red Wings weren't in a terribly dissimilar spot to the one they are in today. Perhaps those Red Wings weren't in quite such command of their path forward, with ground needing to be made up in the standings, but in the run-up to the trade deadline, they had at least a credible chance at cracking the postseason.
At the moment, Detroit is six points north of the playoff cut line, and the possibility of snapping the franchise's playoff drought feels even closer to hand. Thursday's win over the Avalanche made that aspiration feel as close to hand as it has at any point since the team's last playoff appearance in 2016.
On Thursday, the Red Wings bested the 2022 Stanley Cup champions 2-1 in overtime in a victory that drew the difference between this year's playoff push and last year's into stark relief. This year's Red Wings can boast a level of depth that affords them the chance to hold a team as explosive as Colorado to one goal in a 63-minute game, but they also have a degree of star power and killer instinct that last year's squad couldn't match.
Of course, at the center of that effort is Patrick Kane. Kane has Cup (and Conn Smythe)-winning pedigree, and he's defied any reasonable expectation for what a 35-year-old ought to look like after major hip surgery. And more than that, Kane is undeniably a star—a player revered by his peers and fans alike who relishes taking center stage at the decisive moments of the season's biggest games. A player who scores an overtime goal on home ice to send the crowd into a fervor, only to urge them toward even more noise and excitement just as the celebration begins to fade, as he did Thursday night.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed the Red Wings' playoff push and balance between depth and star power. Here's an excerpt of that conversation:
You can find the full episode on either Spotify or Apple Podcasts:
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