Story by Charlie Crowley, Sports Intern
Photo courtesy of Imgur 

When February rolls around in the National Hockey League, teams are fresh off the All Star break. As much as this break can help teams rest and recover, the few games following it can help determine if a season is still worthwhile. For the Detroit Red Wings, the season is looking pretty good. The Wings currently sit third in the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and although Tampa Bay is hot on their tails, the Wings continue to play strong hockey.

There was a lot of speculation with the Wings early in the season with management choosing to dress 19 year old Dylan Larkin with the big club. However, the gamble has paid off in a big way. ‘D-boss,’ as he is affectionately known, has taken his chance by storm, second on the team in points and first in goals. He also sits seventh in the league in plus/minus with a sparkling +21. Leading the offensive charge for the Wings is captain Henrik Zetterberg, who has 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists). The Magic Man Pavel Datsyuk, despite playing only 43 games so far, sits third on the Wings with 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists). Goaltender Petr Mrazek has been fulfilling his potential as future of the Wings with a 22-11-5 record, to go with an impressive .927 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average.

The biggest problem with the Wings going into the final part of the season is the injuries suffered by forward Drew Miller and defenseman Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall had knee surgery done on the 19th of January, while Miller is out four to six months after knee surgery as well. Both are seasoned veterans who provide leadership both on and off the ice. How Detroit does without them will be a big indicator of how far the team can go.

With the tail end of the season prepared to start up, the Wings will have to continue to step up their play to keep a lock on their playoff streak, one that currently stands at 24 games. With veteran leadership and a strong young core, the Wings should be optimistic with how the rest of their season will go.

About the writer…

Charlie Crowley is a junior studying communication and journalism.He is The Saint‘s Sports Intern and future Sports Editor. He spends most of his time playing hockey, sleeping, eating, and on Reddit. He’s also a Hoosier, and proud of it, but can’t hit the open three to save his life.