The Detroit Red Wings have officially won their season series against the Maple Leafs, having taken all three games against them with one more yet to come.
To open their centennial campaign, the Detroit Red Wings were forced to run the gauntlet with several divisional matchups, including two straight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a disappointing 5–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in their home opener, the Red Wings rebounded by rattling off five consecutive victories, including the aforementioned back-to-back wins against Toronto.
On Sunday night, Detroit ensured it would win the season series against the Maple Leafs, earning a 3–2 overtime victory at Little Caesars Arena to claim six of a possible six points against Toronto so far this season.
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Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who was previously felled by a blocked shot in the second period, returned to the ice and eventually scored the game-winning goal for the Red Wings, who also got goals from Moritz Seider and Mason Appleton.
Appleton, who scored the game-winning goal with under a minute left in regulation against the Maple Leafs on Oct. 13, tied the game just 32 seconds after Nic Robertson's go-ahead goal in the third period.
Securing their third win in as many matchups against the Maple Leafs is nothing short of monumental for the Red Wings, as Appleton put it afterward.
"It's huge, when you look at the standings and who you size up against, and who you need to be above, you have season series against everyone, and Todd mentioned it before," Appleton said. "Obviously, we have a stranglehold on that one now. There are other series that we're behind in, and others we're ahead, so it's a good little way to look at it over the course of an 82-game season."
Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, who recently marked exactly a calendar year since his hiring on Dec. 26 of last year, has repeatedly emphasized the importance of winning season series, especially against teams within one's own division.
"We believe that you have to win your season series, especially against teams in your own division," McLellan said. "Conference as well, but certainly (your) division. We talked about it, and we're guaranteed to win the series. We'd like to get more points, but we're guaranteed to win that one."
Simon Edvinsson’s OT Heroics Spark Red Wings vs. Leafs After Injury Return
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson managed to not only avoid a serious injury, but also return to eventually score the overtime game-winner against the Maple Leafs on Sunday evening.
"Real important," he continued. "(It's) tight, they all count, and that's a team that we and everybody else in the Conference will be fighting for positioning in April."
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