Everywhere you look in the NHL\u2019s Eastern Conference playoff race, there\u2019s a lot of winning going on \u2013 unless you happen to be looking at the Detroit Red Wings.<\/p>\n
There is no joy in Hockeytown. The Red Wings continue to strike out.<\/p>\n
Detroit shows a 4-5-1 slate over the past 10 games. Compared to the rest of the teams that the Wings are battling in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, that\u2019s a lot of losses.<\/p>\n
Consider that the Philadelphia Flyers, now tied with Detroit<\/a> at 86 points, are 8-1-1 in the past 10 games. The Boston Bruins are 6-2-2, and the Ottawa Senators<\/a> are 6-3-1. The New York Islanders are 6-4, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are 5-3-2.<\/p>\n Do Red Wings Still Control Their Own Destiny?<\/p>\n Realistically, the Red Wings have just one hope left for a playoff position. That would be the second Wild Card. Boston, currently seventh in the East, is six points ahead of Detroit. Columbus, the eighth seed, is only two points above the Red Wings.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s six teams right now (battling for playoff spots),\u201d Red Wings coach Todd McLellan<\/a> said. \u201cIf I\u2019m correct, there are five that are all within two points.<\/p>\n \u201cThe division spots will sort themselves out, and then the wild cards come into play.\u201d<\/p>\n McLellan believes that since they have four games left with teams in the race \u2013 two with Philadelphia, and one each against Pittsburgh and Columbus, that destiny remains in the Red Wings\u2019 control. <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s still in our hands,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cThere\u2019s still 18 points that are left. But sometimes we play like we\u2019re waiting for teams to do us favors, and that\u2019s the issue that we have. <\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re caught in between. So realistically, it\u2019s in our hands. We play, and we win our share of games, and I think it\u2019ll be fine. We play teams that are right there with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Red Wings Need To Start Winning<\/p>\n While that may be the case, the fact of the matter is that unless they start stringing some wins together, the Red Wings are just listing in the water. And treading water won\u2019t keep them in the race.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know we have to go on a bit of a run for sure,\u201d Red Wings forward Patrick Kane<\/a> said.<\/p>\n