After Thursday night’s win in Edmonton, the Detroit Red Wings have played 51 games, accruing a record of 25–21–5, presently placing them two points back of the second wild card position in the Eastern Conference. Of the 31 games left on the schedule, 18 will be away from the friendly confines of Little Caesars Arena.
If Detroit is going to emerge from the stretch run with a playoff berth, the Red Wings will have to find a winning formula on the road. After the win over the Oilers, coach Todd McLellan offered an insight as to what that could look like.
When asked what it takes to win on the road in the modern NHL, McLellan told reporters, “I think you have to be prepared to start, because you can lose games quickly on the road with momentum, fans, energy in buildings, having to play back-to-back…So your starts, your health, and your rest is important on the road, but then you have to understand game management. You’ve got to pick your spots on when to go, when not to go, and you have to win games in different ways. You gotta sometimes outscore your mistakes; sometimes you gotta check your way there. And if you can do those, you give yourself a chance.”
The Red Wings had to overcome a poor start to beat Edmonton Thursday night, but they did find a way to check their way to a win after overcoming a 2–0 early deficit. That certainly wasn’t the easiest road to victory, but it was good enough for a win over a Stanley Cup favorite.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wingsteam site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google Newsfavorites.
MONTREAL — Marc-Andre Fleury never played for the Montreal Canadiens, but on this night he was celebrated like one of their all-time greats.
The legendary netminder from nearby Sorel, Que., played what was likely his final game in Montreal on Thursday.
And despite the nerves he built up for days, Fleury lived up to the occasion, pitching a 19-save shutout and earning the first star in the Minnesota Wild’s 4-0 win over the Canadiens.
