The Detroit Red Wings are staring down a pivotal stretch that could define their early season trajectory. Fresh off three consecutive road losses where the team managed just four goals total, head coach Derek Lalonde’s squad now embarks on a demanding five-game trip that kicks off Tuesday night in Montreal. Fans who have watched the last week unfold know the numbers tell only part of the story, yet the urgency is unmistakable.
Detroit opened the trip with a 3-1 defeat in Nashville, followed by a 5-2 drubbing in New Jersey and a 4-1 setback in Buffalo. The power play, once a bright spot in preseason chatter, went 0-for-9 across those contests. Goaltender Ville Husso allowed twelve goals on 88 shots, posting a save percentage that dipped below .864. Lalonde did not mince words after the Buffalo loss. “We’re not executing at the level we need to be a playoff team,” he told reporters in the locker room. “The details are slipping, and on the road those details become magnified.”
Captain Dylan Larkin echoed the sentiment but framed it through the lens of opportunity. “Three games don’t make a season, but five in a row away from home will show us who we are,” Larkin said during Monday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena. “We’ve talked about responding to adversity since training camp. Now we get to prove it.”
The schedule offers little mercy. After the Canadiens, the Red Wings visit Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, and the New York Rangers in a span of nine days. Four of those opponents currently sit above .500, and three boast top-ten scoring defenses. Travel logistics alone will test the roster’s depth, with back-to-back sets against the Maple Leafs and Bruins sandwiched around a single off-day.
General manager Steve Yzerman, who has preached patience since taking the reins in 2019, addressed the media via conference call Monday afternoon. “We knew this trip would be a gut check,” Yzerman said. “The parity in the league means every night is a battle, but we have the personnel to compete. It’s about consistency for sixty minutes, something we showed in spurts during the home stand.”
Analysts point to underlying metrics that offer glimmers of hope. Detroit’s expected goals share hovered around 48 percent across the three losses, suggesting misfortune played a role alongside execution lapses. High-danger scoring chances were nearly even, yet finishing touch eluded the top line of Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Alex DeBrincat. Raymond, in particular, has generated nine individual scoring chances without a goal, a drought that cannot persist if the Wings hope to climb the Atlantic Division standings.
Lalonde has already hinted at lineup tweaks. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, recalled from Grand Rapids last week, skated on the top pairing during Monday’s session. Forward Jonatan Berggren, who notched two assists in the home opener, could see increased ice time on the second power-play unit. Husso will start against Montreal, but backup Alex Lyon looms as a potential mid-trip pivot if the goals-against trend continues.
For a franchise that missed the playoffs the past eight seasons, road warrior mentality remains a work in progress. Last year the Wings posted a 19-18-3 away record, respectable yet insufficient for postseason qualification. The current skid has dropped them to 1-3-0, placing early pressure on a core group that includes veterans like Patrick Kane and David Perron alongside rising talents such as Moritz Seider.
Off-ice storylines add intrigue. Kane, who joined the team midseason last year, has yet to find the scoresheet on this trip. Perron, a veteran of 1,000 games, spoke candidly about leadership. “We’ve got guys who have won Cups and guys who are chasing their first playoff series,” Perron said. “Blending that experience with hunger is the challenge. This trip will accelerate the process.”
Fan sentiment on social media reflects cautious optimism. Season-ticket holder Mike Chen, who runs the popular Red Wings Recap podcast, posted after the Buffalo game: “Rough stretch, but the schedule eases up after Boston. If we steal four points in the first three, the narrative flips.” Chen’s sentiment captures the razor-thin margin between panic and progress in today’s NHL.
The Canadiens present the first chance at redemption. Montreal enters with a 2-2-1 record, buoyed by Cole Caufield’s five goals but hampered by defensive injuries. Bell Centre crowds have historically energized visiting teams as much as the home side, and Detroit’s speed could exploit transition opportunities against a Canadiens blue line missing Kaiden Guhle.
Beyond Montreal, the Ottawa matchup carries extra weight. Former Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi, now with the Senators, faces his old club for the first time since signing north of the border. Bertuzzi’s physical style and net-front presence could tilt the ice if Detroit’s penalty kill, ranked 28th league-wide, remains undisciplined.
Toronto and Boston represent the trip’s marquee tests. The Maple Leafs, led by Auston Matthews’ scorching start, average four goals per game at home. The Bruins, under new bench boss Jim Montgomery, have surrendered the fewest high-danger chances in the Eastern Conference. Closing against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden offers a nationally televised stage to either salvage or sink the swing.
Lalonde simplified the mandate during Monday’s film session. “Win the first period in Montreal, build from there,” he said. “Everything else—standings, narratives, trade rumors—takes care of itself when we control what we can control.”
As the charter flight lifts off Tuesday morning, the Red Wings carry more than luggage. They carry expectation, born from Yzerman’s methodical rebuild and fueled by a fan base hungry for relevance. Five games, five cities, one chance to flip the script. The bell tolls in Quebec tonight, and Detroit’s answer will echo through the Atlantic for weeks to come.
