The Atlantic Division standings couldn’t be tighter, and for the Detroit Red Wings, the responsibility will fall on them to play consistently over their final 24 games and secure a return trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Back to work are the Detroit Red Wings following the Olympic break, which saw Dylan Larkin and Team USA capture the gold medal for the first time since the iconic Miracle on Ice squad of 1980.
Detroit’s first game out of the break will immediately pit Larkin and the Red Wings against his Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk and the Ottawa Senators, who have been a thorn in Detroit’s side over the past three seasons.
Ottawa is currently fighting for its playoff life, while the Red Wings are looking to gain ground in the tightly packed Atlantic Division standings after slipping into the first Wild Card spot.
They are tied in points with the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres, but both teams hold the tiebreaker.
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Defenseman Mortiz Seider, who led all Team Germany defensemen in total ice time during the Olympics, is looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.
"It's going to be great, everyone is really excited," Seider said following Detroit's skate on Thursday morning. "It's been a while since we've worn the red and white jersey. Everyone is looking forward to having a good start, don't overcomplicate things, and get right back into action."
With 24 games left in the schedule, the onus is on the Red Wings to maintain a consistent level of play that allows them to get a leg up on their competition.
"They're going to be crucial, especially since we have a lot of four-point games ahead of us," Seider said of Detroit's remaining games. "We play a lot of divisional opponents, and those will be key. You can separate in those situations, and that's exactly what we had to do. Tonight will be a good challenge for us to do so."
Among the 24 games Detroit has left on the schedule are 10 against Atlantic Division opponents, beginning on Thursday against the Senators.
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