It was a tough start to 2026 for the Red Wings due to back-to-back losses against Pittsburgh, but the vibes have been reversed after back-to-back wins against Ottawa and Vancouver, respectively. Okay, so Vancouver is not a good team and Ottawa is last in the Atlantic. You can only play who is on your schedule, and Detroit is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. It’s January, so I’ll take it.
Perhaps the biggest story of the day, at least for us, is Patrick Kane. PK88 reached a major milestone against Vancouver, earning his 500th career NHL goal. It was a two-goal performance from Kane, and while his milestone was achieved on an empty-net, the goal he scored to get no. 499 in the closing seconds of the first period was an absolute beauty. I’ve said something like this before, but go back in time and tell me that Patrick Kane would score his 500th NHL goal with the Detroit Red Wings. What do you think my reaction would be? Hm. š
Couple of other notes after watching last night’s game:
- The John Gibson trade looked ugly to start the season, but as with most things in sports and life in general, it takes time to materialize. Gibson has been a key component of Detroit’s success. I made a declaration in an earlier article that the trade wasn’t working out, and now I sit here writing that I am happily eating all of the crow. All Detroit needed was league-average goaltending, and now they’re getting that and more from Gibson. If he can stay healthy, it’s a perfect stopgap for one (or two!!!!) of the younger goalies in the system.
- James van Riemsdyk is proving to be one of if not the best value free-agent signing in the NHL this season. JvR posted two assists in last night’s win. Both of them were “jump outta your seat” type of passes. Mix in the fact that he’s one of the best net-front forces I’ve seen since Tomas Holmstrom, and that he costs a paltry $1 million in cap hit. Excellent, beautiful, delicious, magnificent work by Steve Yzerman to bring him in.
- Iām not saying heās an actual unicorn, but Iām starting to suspect Axel Sandin-Pellikkaās skates were forged in a forest by elves. Couple of points including a goal against Vancouver, much-needed after a handful of games with no offense to show. It’s really hard to jump around pro hockey like ASP has the last year, but I think we can all agree that the skill is as advertised. He’s 20 years old and should only get better from here.
The Wings will close out the week tomorrow night in Montreal. As I write this, Montreal and Detroit are first and second in the Atlantic. I’m guessing this is going to be a feisty game and perhaps a nice litmus test for both teams.
Meanwhile, with a win on Wednesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins became the fastest team to reach 60 points in the AHL’s nearly century-long history. I have run out of words to describe this team honestly. Just stupidly dominant in many ways. Dan Watson is probably going to be an NHL coach in the next year or two.
Looking around the NHL, the Ottawa Senators are making national headlines following a statement from the team in response to some rumors that have been swirling on social media. I won’t be amplifying those rumors here, you can find them for yourself. I will say that the fiery statement, signed by GM Steve Staios (but most likely penned by Ian Mendes), could essentially be a “kicking the hornet’s nest” type of situation. I get that the team wanted to quash the rumors, and I respect that… but I do wonder if there was a better avenue for it.
Trades? Trades! Chicago and San Jose closed a deal yesterday. The Blackhawks are acquiring defenseman Ryan Ellis, Jake Furlong and a 2028 pick in exchange for defenseman Nolan Allan, goaltender Laurent Brossoit and a 2028 pick. League altering!!
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend, get some rest, stay hydrated, and as always… Go Wings.
