DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings entered a stretch of four games in six days against top Eastern Conference teams with a hot 9-2 record in their previous 11 games.
Here's what happened in those four games:
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- Nov. 21 -- 3-2 overtime win over the Boston Bruins
- Nov. 23 -- 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals
- Nov. 24 -- 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres
- Nov. 26 -- 7-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets
And that brings the cooled-off Red Wings to a 10-11-3 record worth 23 points. They are 4 points out of the Eastern Conference's 2nd Wild Card playoff spot.
Here's a look at the Atlantic Division standings:
Tampa Bay Lightning | 24 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 92 | 68 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buffalo Sabres | 24 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 76 | 66 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 25 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 88 | 64 |
Boston Bruins | 24 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 67 | 59 |
Montreal Canadiens | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 76 | 81 |
Detroit Red Wings | 24 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 68 | 80 |
Florida Panthers | 22 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 73 | 81 |
Ottawa Senators | 24 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 85 | 104 |
Detroit has a lot of work to do for a shot at one of those top three spots in the Atlantic. Basically, it's not going to happen unless several teams suddenly fall down.
Athanasiou, Mantha are scoring
The good news for Detroit is two of the team's offensive weapons are starting to find the back of the net. Andreas Athanasiou scored two goals against the Bruins and another goal against the Capitals. He could be a huge difference maker for Detroit if he can pot goals on a more regular basis. He now has 10 goals on the season.
The same can be said for Anthony Mantha, who scored two goals against the Blue Jackets and a goal against the Sabres. He now has 9 goals on the season.
Here's what's coming up on the Red Wings schedule:
- Wednesday -- 7 p.m. vs. St. Louis Blues
- Saturday -- 7 p.m. at Boston Bruins
- Sunday -- 7 p.m. vs. Colorado Avalanche
This hockey newsletter is authored by Dave Bartkowiak Jr. He can be contacted at dbartkowiak@wdiv.com or on Twitter @DaveBartko.