The dominoes couldn’t have gotten any more complicated for the Detroit Red Wings regarding their NHL Atlantic Division rivals. On Monday night, the Red Wings easily handled the Calgary Flames in a 5-2 win, the Boston Bruins lost in overtime, and on Sunday, the Montreal Canadiens lost in regulation. Then on Tuesday, the Canadiens beat the Bruins, also in overtime.

Detroit Red Wings and the NHL Atlantic Division Gauntlet

Detroit’s big win over Calgary kept them in a Eastern Conference Wild Card spot, and it keeps them within two points of the Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic. Meanwhile, the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning have been on a cold stretch, going 3-7-0 in their last 10 outings heading into Wednesday night’s slate.

Steve Roberts/CSM)(Credit Image: © Steve Roberts/Cal Sport Media/Cal Sport Media

There are so many what-ifs here, considering how just two points separate the Canadiens from the Wings and Bruins, who are both just one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and five ahead of the Ottawa Senators in the Wild Card. For the Wings, the stakes are even higher as they near the end of their centennial season with a potential playoff berth for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Red Wings Enter This Gauntlet of Games Full of Question Marks

What will the Red Wings look like, considering they still won’t have Dylan Larkin or Andrew Copp ready unless one of them makes a surprise return? In Saturday night’s loss to the Dallas Stars, the Wings looked flat for the first 40 minutes, logging an abysmal eight shots on goal.

They looked like a different team in the final frame, scoring twice on 14 shots and escaping Dallas with a point and a small momentum boost. That trend continued in Monday’s win over the Flames, but it was also a game everyone expected Detroit to win. Still, they played just one good period in Dallas, and Calgary was never going to give them a fight. So is such a short-handed group capable of putting up a solid 60 minutes against four formidable opponents?

Getting two points in at least half of their upcoming contests against a powerful slate of Atlantic Division opponents is non-negotiable. But that won’t be easy when their next four opponents are the Canadiens, Bruins, Senators, and division-leading Buffalo Sabres. Ideally, they would find a way to sweep this group. Realistically, it’s hard to imagine, so two wins and a loser point would make for a successful series of games.

One Major Disadvantage the Red Wings Have That Few are Talking About

Heading into this gauntlet against four legitimate playoff contenders, Detroit has played through 68 games this season. That gives the Canadiens a game in hand, and the Lightning and Senators two games in hand. The Metro Division’s Blue Jackets also have a game in hand. As if the stakes couldn’t get any higher, having so many rivals with games in hand could spell trouble for the Wings even if they play their best hockey over the next four games.

Still, momentum is in Detroit’s corner. With three points in their last two games, playing their best hockey will further boost that momentum as Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp near their returns. It would strengthen their chances of ending the playoff drought this season as opposed to heading into April with other teams controlling their playoff fate.

Nobody said this was going to be easy for the Red Wings, a team that still looked like it was in a transition phase early in the year following a season-opening blowout loss to the Canadiens. Getting wins and accumulating points would be great. But at some point, fans must start looking at the games Detroit’s rivals still have in hand.

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