Red Wings are in playoff mode, in February

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are in playoff mode, and it's February.

Monday's heartbreaking 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and Wednesday's thrilling 3-2 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks have proven it.

Net minder Jimmy Howard has returned from his groin injury as good as ever. Howard went head-to-head with Carey Price -- a.k.a the world's best goaltender -- for 58 minutes on Monday night, only to lose on a flukey turnover goal. Then he robbed the Blackhawks repeatedly on Wednesday night, including in the shootout. He's saved 59 of the last 62 shots he has faced. He posted a .964 save percentage against the Habs and a .941 save percentage against the Hawks. Beyond the flashy numbers, it's the quality and timing of his saves that make the numbers that much more impressive.

The NHL trade deadline is looming (March 2) and it remains unclear if Detroit will make a move. They have plenty of cap space and the rumor is they're in the market for a righthanded defenseman, but who really knows for sure.

Rookie defenseman Alexei Marchenko is currently filling that role quite nicely. He played 17 minutes Wednesday night against the Hawks, and coach Mike Babcock seems to have some confidence in Marchenko since the 23-year-old Russian was recalled from Grand Rapids earlier this month. Still, he has just eight NHL games under his belt and experience always matters in the playoffs. Always.

With Howard's All-Star caliber play between the pipes and the ever-strong team defense, if the Red Wings were to enter the playoffs right now they'd be a favorite for a deep run.

Unlike the recent past, the Wings aren't battling for a 7th or 8th seed. Instead, they're battling for the top spot in their division, and they're doing it against some of the best teams in the league -- teams like Chicago and Montreal who have a lot of experience.

The Red Wings have 26 games remaining on their schedule. They just started a six-game western road trip that includes games against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators.

So while they still have big tests ahead of them before the real playoffs begin, if Howard and company continue playing at this high level, Hockeytown can look forward to an entertaining spring and perhaps a credible run for another Stanley Cup.