The Detroit Red Wings may be familiar with the old saying about close only counting in horseshoes and hand grenades. However, what they are growing more familiar with is the fact that succeeding in close encounters is a path to success in the NHL.

A 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on New Year’s Eve was Detroit’s 14th one-goal victory of the 2025-26 NHL season. That’s the most by any team in the league.

✌️ points! pic.twitter.com/QVt8LkegIE

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 1, 2026

It’s also a statement, a sign of growth, and one of the key reasons why the Red Wings sit atop the Atlantic Division as they reach the midseason mark.

“To lock games down and win them by one just goes to show our structure, our resiliency, and how we play that team game,” Detroit forward Mason Appleton said.

Sure, you can say coming out on top consistently when the scoreline is close is just luck. That would be the horseshoe element of the equation.

The raw data suggests otherwise.

Detroit’s .737 one-goal winning percentage is second-best in the NHL. Meanwhile, the Jets, currently the bottom team in the NHL, own an NHL-worst .250 success rate in one-goal outcomes.

Last season, as they missed the playoffs, the Red Wings were a .500 team in one-goal games. The Jets, who won the Presidents’ Trophy, were second in the NHL with a .704 success rate.

Red Wings Growing Comfortable In Close Quarters

So you see, there is a correlation. But is it a case of good teams winning one-goal games, or is a team that learns how to win one-goal games develops into a good club?

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan is a firm believer that being able to play with comfort when the scoreline is tight is a learned skill.

The @DetroitRedWings 11 wins in December is the most wins in the month since December of 2010.

It is 1 shy of the franchise record with 12. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/mvRi6sNHq6

— Logan Reever (@loganreever) January 1, 2026

“I think you do grow into them,” McLellan said. “You have to experience them. You have to stay in them and be in them a lot.

“We’re experiencing it more, and we have more players who have been in those situations. (Appleton) would be a prime example.

“So, the more we can experience it, hopefully the more we learn, the better we get.”