March's familiar slump sidelines the Red Wings. Can a near-perfect April snatch a playoff berth from the jaws of their historic curse?
As April begins and the calendar turns from a frustrating March, the Detroit Red Wings and their fan base are once again left reflecting on a month that has become synonymous with struggles.
What has often been referred to as the team’s March curse resurfaced yet again, even with a roster that, at times this season, looked capable of contending for both a playoff spot and potentially the Stanley Cup.
Detroit’s slide in the standings began just before the month started, fueling concern among fans and those fears proved warranted. The Red Wings went 5-7-2 in March, bringing their combined record in the month over the past four seasons to 17-35-5, further cementing March as a recurring hurdle for the franchise.
Despite the downturn, Detroit remains firmly in the postseason race. The team is currently tied with the Ottawa Senators at 86 points and sits just two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets, keeping their playoff hopes alive with eight games remaining. However, improvement across the lineup will be necessary to secure a spot.
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Offensively, much of the production in March came from Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, who carried the load for Detroit. The duo recorded 20 and 14 points respectively over the 14 games, making them the only Red Wings to average a point per game during that stretch. On the blue line, Moritz Seider continued to be a steady presence, contributing 13 points while anchoring the defense through a challenging stretch of games.
Production from the rest of the forward group, however, was inconsistent as Lucas Raymond was forced to move throughout the lineup amid injuries and finished with nine points in 14 games. Dylan Larkin was limited to seven games due to injury, recording four points, while Andrew Copp saw his strong season slowed after being restricted to 11 games and posting six points.
Outside of those contributions, the remainder of the offense struggled to find consistency, averaging less than half a point per game, a trend that will need to change quickly as the regular season winds down.
In goal, John Gibson showed flashes of strong play despite the team’s overall record. After appearing to be in peak form earlier in the season, Gibson finished March with a 4-7-1 record in 13 appearances but maintained a solid 2.81 goals-against average.
With only a handful of games left, the Red Wings remain within striking distance of a playoff spot. Whether they can overcome their March struggles and carry momentum into April will likely determine if their season extends into the postseason.
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