Yzerman’s patient plan is paying off, playoff drought may end
DETROIT >> Steve Yzerman’s patient plan to turn around the Detroit Red Wings looks like it may be paying off.
The rolling Red Wings routed the Washington Capitals 8-3 on Tuesday night, winning six straight games for the first time in nearly five years with their first eight-goal game since 2017.
“We’ve got some work to do in some areas, but it’s very encouraging,” Yzerman said in an interview with The Associated Press after his team’s latest win. “We’re getting stronger as the season goes on.”
Yzerman returned to Detroit in April, 2019 — three years after its last playoff game — to take on the tall task of fixing a franchise that had fallen on hard times after being one of the league’s best for two-plus decades.
The Hockey Hall of Famer spent his entire NHL career in the Motor City, where he’s a favorite athlete, and the fan base kept its faith in him even as the postseason drought lingered under his leadership.
The Red Wings seem to have their groove back and are moving toward their first playoff appearance since 2016.
“They’re as good as any team in the National Hockey League,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said.
Lately, that’s been a fact.
Detroit has the longest active winning streak in the Eastern Conference — matched by only Nashville in the league — and leads the wildcard standings. The Red Wings are also closing in on Toronto for the Atlantic Division’s third guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
Washington and the New York Islanders, who play at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night, are among the teams chasing the Red Wings for a wild card.
If the Red Wings beat New York, it will be their first seven-game winning streak since January, 2012.
“These four-point games are new for us,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “This late in the season, there’s a little extra urgency to them.