The Detroit Red Wings head into their final two games before the Olympic break this upcoming week (Feb. 2- Feb. 8). They will be looking to bounce back in a big way after dropping all three games from this past week, while only gaining one point (4-3 shootout loss vs the Washington Capitals on Jan. 29). Here are a few storylines and headlines heading into the week.
Power Play Goes Cold
In their three losses this past week, the Red Wings’ power play went ice-cold. They went scoreless in their ten attempts on the man advantage, despite solid chances. The power play struggled, hampering the team’s overall offensive output against their three opponents. In the three games last week, the Red Wings were outscored 12-4.
This week, they will once again face the Colorado Avalanche, who seemed to have their way against the Red Wings when they squared off on Jan. 31, a 5-0 Avalanche victory. The Red Wings will need their power play units to get back on track if they want to have any success against the NHL’s best team on Feb. 2.
Edvinsson’s Presence Being Missed
With Simon Edvinsson out with an injury until at least the break, the Red Wings have had to rely on other defenseman over the past week. It has not worked out in the Red Wings’ favor, and Edvinsson’s presence has been sorely missed. Jacob Bernard-Docker and Travis Hamonic have seen an uptick in ice time, but are far from being the player Edvinsson is.
Simon Edvinsson, Detroit Red Wings (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Getting more out of the aforementioned Bernard-Docker and Hamonic, as well as Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who has seen his ice time fluctuate as of late, before the Olympic break could be a big factor in how the Red Wings feel going into said break. Edvinsson’s absence has put the Red Wings in a tough spot, and it has highlighted even more where the team’s shortcomings are from the backend of the ice. Does it mean that general manager (GM) Steve Yzerman goes out and adds a defenseman who can make an impact before the trade deadline? Time will only tell, but it would certainly be welcomed by the Red Wing fans.
Five-on-Five Play Not in the Red Wings’ Favor
After a solid start to the 2026 calendar year offensively, the Red Wings struggled this past week when it came to 5-on-5 play. They held a -5 goal differential in 5-on-5 situations and remain near the bottom of the league in this statistic. Getting their top players, such as Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat, on track in the final two games before the break will be imperative to the team’s overall success.
Looking to Bounce Back Heading Into Olympic Break
The Red Wings find themselves still in a playoff spot heading into the week, but with their struggles and the rest of the Eastern Conference having solid success, the gap between being a playoff team and being on the outside looking in continues to shrink.
Related: Red Wings Top 25 Prospects: 2025-26 Midseason Update
With two tough games on the road this week, they will need to get their momentum built back up as they head into the Olympic break and have something positive going for them coming out of the break if they want to keep themselves toward the top of the Atlantic Division.
Red Wings Schedule Feb.2- Feb. 8
DateOpponentTimeVenueGame NotesFeb. 2@ Colorado Avalanche9:00 p.m.Ball Arena2nd straight game vs AvalancheFeb. 4@ Utah Mammoth9:00 p.m.Delta Center2nd game this season vs Utah (4-1 on Dec. 17)
