Why Detroit Red Wings are poised to thrive after challenging December

There is still time for the Detroit Red Wings to make December a merrier month and go into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose.

They stood at 16-13-4 entering Saturday, their 36 points one more than they took into last year's Christmas break, when they were 14-11-7 after 32 games. December began with the arrival of Patrick Kane — and what a gifted addition he has been — but the Wings' record has been bleak the first three weeks: 4-6-1 ahead of the game at the New Jersey Devils. That has pushed the Wings into fifth place in the Atlantic Division, and looking up at the wild card race in the Eastern Division.

When asked the day before the break about his team's performances this month, Derek Lalonde distilled December with one word.

"Sporadic," he said. "We knew this would be a really tough stretch for us, compounded by all the injuries. But you have to find a way to get points."

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: Red Wings recall 2021 top pick Simon Edvinsson

Why so bleak

General manager Steve Yzerman summed it all up when, in late November, he estimated the Wings had a chance to advance if health and goaltending holds up.

Alas, neither has this month.

Ville Husso, No. 1 on the depth chart, was 2-1-1 in December with a 3.73 goals-against average and .893 save percentage when he suffered an injury Dec. 18. Alex Lyon, No. 2 on the chart, was 1-2 with a .890 save percentage and 3.78 GAA when he suffered an injury Dec. 16. James Reimer, No. 3, was 1-3 with a .874 save percentage and 4.45 GAA after he let in six goals in Friday's outing against the Philadelphia Flyers. Lyon is expected to be available when the Wings emerge from their Christmas vacation on Dec. 27, but there's less certainty about Husso's return.

That's just the goalies. Dylan Larkin missed four games after that scary incident where he lost consciousness, but looked back in form Friday, centering Kane and Alex DeBrincat. Friday also marked the return of David Perron after a six-game suspension; the Wings missed his competitive spark. J.T. Compher was sidelined five games by injury. In all, that adds up to three games without their top two centers and a top-six winger, and four games without Larkin and Perron.

In short, neither health nor goaltending has held up the first three weeks of December, and that is why the Wings have looked forlorn at times.

Bah, humbug

Asked what the Wings can take away from this stretch, DeBrincat pointed to better efforts, regardless of the lineup.

"We were missing some key players but we definitely have to learn from this stretch," he said. "I think we can take away a lot of things — we’ve got to come ready, focused, every game. We’re not going to beat teams by just out-skilling them, we’ve got to work hard and I think that has to be our motto."

There have been some egregious letdowns in games — the one against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 7 was a wild one, with the Wings going up four goals in around 5 minutes and then losing the lead just as quickly. In Friday's game, the Wings didn't look in command even with a 4-1 lead after the first period, because Reimer looked so shaky. But they found a way to get two points, and that is what Kane saw in them, and why he signed on.

HOLIDAY WISHES: Granting 1 Christmas wish each to Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, Tigers

"I think just watching the team even when I wasn’t playing, and I was here, it’s a winning group," Kane said. "I feel like there’s a good culture here and a lot of positives. Sometimes you go down with some injuries and you need to find a way to make it a little bit simpler of a game when you’re missing some key guys, and that was probably a test we failed. But I think we’ve got everybody back now, even DP coming back in the lineup and playing a really unselfish game, that’s big things for our team. Sometimes the little things go a long way."

Be of good cheer

Kane scored two goals and had an assist Friday, then added a goal in the shootout, giving him his third straight multipoint game. DeBrincat had three assists and Larkin, a goal and an assist. The Wings haven't had so much talent on one line since Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg paired up nearly a decade ago.

Kane makes everything look effortless, he's that gifted — his net-front goal in Winnipeg, just a quick tap-in, never mind all the traffic.

Now that the forward group has been restocked with talent, and with at least Lyon expected back come Dec. 27 at the Minnesota Wild, the Wings look like they're going to be able to get back into playoff positioning. December really was a challenge: 15 games crammed into 28 days. After the Wild game, the Wings come home to host the Nashville Predators on Dec. 29, and then the traditional New Year's Eve game against the Boston Bruins. A perfect opportunity to welcome 2024 with renewed energy.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Detroit Red Wings are poised to thrive after challenging December