Following Saturday’s 4-0 win at Chicago, Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan was talking to reporters like a proud papa.

“I saw us doing some smart things with the lead and things we didn’t necessarily do in the last 10 minutes in (their 4-3 win at Calgary),” McLellan said.

At the same time, he was sprinkling in a grain of salt amidst all this adulation. That’s the natural response when you’ve been burned in the past as often as he has by this team.

SATURDAY NIGHT DUB IN CHICAGO! pic.twitter.com/QBo5VTBnkj

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 14, 2025

“I’ve talked about learning some hard, tough lessons,” McLellan said. “Maybe we learned the lesson in Calgary and applied it (Saturday).”

Was it merely a good night for Detroit, or a sign that more good nights are ahead for this team?

“Well, I could say yes,” McLellan said. “And then you could say, well, what about Calgary?”

In Calgary, the Wings also were up 4-0 and nearly squandered the entire advantage in the final 20 minutes of regulation. Against Chicago, they locked it down and threw the key away.

“So maybe we’re growing,” McLellan said.

Red Wings Return From Impressive Road Trip

The victory at Chicago was the conclusion of a 4-1-1 road trip for Detroit. During that span, the Red Wings did assemble an impressive resume.

Detroit posted two shutouts on the trip. The club allowed three goals or fewer in four of the past five games. The Red Wings had managed to do that only twice over the previous eight games.

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— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 14, 2025

The power play clicked at 26.6%, although it should be noted that the unit finished the trip on a 0-9 skid. On the penalty kill, Detroit was 80% (12 of 15) over the six games.

A second scoring option also emerged since Andrew Copp was moved in as the No. 2 center between Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. At least one player from that unit has scored a goal in six of Detroit’s past seven games.

“Copper’s played extremely well there,” McLellan said. “You know, maybe he’s been waiting for that. I’m not sure. But he’s got it now, and I’d like to see him keep it. But if he keeps doing what he’s doing, it’s a real good spot for him.”

On the Other Hand . . .

Here’s where that grain of salt comes into play. When Detroit set out on this trip, all six teams ahead on the journey held poorer records on the season than the Red Wings.

Before they left on this trip, the Wings enjoyed a stretch with 10 of 13 games on home ice. It should’ve been a chance to make hay, to establish themselves as legitimate playoff contenders. Instead, they stumbled to a 5-6-2 record.

That type of Jekyll-Hyde performance has become a staple of this club. Last season, the Wings put together two seven-game win streaks under McLellan. There was also a six-game losing skid, as well as stretches in which the team went 1-3-1 and 2-5.

Over the next eight games to close out the 2025 portion of the schedule, Detroit plays six on home ice.

Five of those games are against teams currently holding playoff positions. It’s another opportunity for the Red Wings to show whether they’ve finally learned their lessons well, or if they just crammed to pass an exam.