Connect with us

Detroit Red Wings

Thanksgiving Playoff Curse? Red Wings Push Back

75% of teams in playoff spots on Thanksgiving are still there at the end of the regular season

Published

1 week ago

on

Moritz Seider, Red Wings
Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider isn't at all concerned about the NHL's Thanksgiving playoff analytic.

Among the Thanksgiving traditions, this is one the Detroit Red Wings are choosing not to celebrate.

Even with their two-game win streak, the Red Wings are sitting two points shy of a playoff spot as people are gathering around the family table for their festive feast of turkey.

There’s a long-held NHL axiom that teams in the playoffs on Thanksgiving Day will also be in a postseason position in April as the NHL regular season is coming to a conclusion.

Is there anything to this theory?

Well, according to research compiled by the New York Times, in the salary cap era (since 2005-06), 75% of teams in a playoff spot on Thanksgiving have gone on to play in the playoffs.

“I mean, yeah, you hear it all the time, but I think it’s not what I really pay attention to,” Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider said.

Maybe there’s justification in this non-belief from the Red Wings players. All they need to do is consider last season while making that assessment.

At the end of the 2023-24 NHL season, 13 teams that were in the playoffs on Thanksgiving were still there. The three that weren’t? The St. Louis Blues, the Seattle Kraken and . . . the Red Wings.

“Yeah, I mean, you look at the standings and you just don’t want to be too far behind at this time of the year,” was how Detroit captain Dylan Larkin was assessing the Thanksgiving scenario.

“I don’t think there’s much to if you’re in first place right now, you’re going to finish first place. They’re not handing out trophies at U.S. Thanksgiving. So it’s a good mile marker.”

Red Wings Focus On Where They’re Going

To the Red Wings players, what matters right now is where they’re heading. Not where they currently are.

“Twenty games in and our division’s clumped up,” Larkin said. “We’re right there. We just need to get on a run and we’ll be back in the place we want to be.”

Their focus is on controlling what they can control going forward.

“It’s about what’s happening in this locker room,” Seider said. “We want to get a little bit on a roll here. We have a couple games this week, so hopefully we can do a little bit of catch up.”

At 10-102, the Red Wings are showing the record at home (5-5-1) and on the road (5-5-1). Overall, they are also 5-5-1 through their past 11 games.

“I honestly think we’re playing better defensively,” Seider said. “We’re not giving up a lot of dangerous chances and we found a way to at least create a little bit more shots, especially from up top.

“There’s a little more presence at the net, and hopefully we kind of detailed our penalty kill in a little bit. Now it’s just about taking everything as a pack and try to move on here.”

Related Topics:
4 Comments
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
4 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
RWHockey13

It would be nice to see them make the playoffs. They will need to score more and not get outshot each game. The roster is poor with all the Veterans Yzerman added, but we’ll see. Yet perhaps these Vets start picking it up.

0
Reply
Mike Babcock

If Detroit is going to make the playoffs it’ll be the young guys driving the bus.

Bergy, Kasper and Edvinsson will both need to take another step in their development.

Larkin is doing everything he can so far.

Raymond and Seider will have to take another step.

Kane can rack up PP points but Tarasenko looks lost.

Compher and Copp haven’t impressed.

Ras and Veleno aren’t improving.

Fischer does his job and Motte is Motte.

The lack of depth on the defense is our biggest weakness.

Red Wings really need another top 4 guy but good luck acquiring one.

Yzerman isn’t going to trade a top prospect or a 1st round pick.

So Red Wings will continue being exposed on D each game.

A steady diet of Chiarot, Petry, Holl and Gus.

Yikes.

Lots of pressure on Mo and Eddy.

Johansson looks solid but he’s not a top 4 guy.

I don’t know how long Talbot and Lyon can keep bailing this D out.

Too many holes on this roster for Detroit to make the playoffs in my opinion.

0
Reply
Steve B

I almost dont want to say this because I am a fan, but the team has looked better without Kane. With Kane in the team I think there is an over reliance on giving him the puck and expecting him to create magic moments and I dont think he is that player this year. Without him in the team, they have to create their own moments and I think it works better that way. They seem to shoot more without Kane, get more goals without Kane and win without Kane. I feel dirty typing this, I am a big fan of his but he doesn’t seem the same player this year. 10 points in 20 games is not it. It’s not even close to who Patrick Kane is.

Last edited 7 days ago by Steve B
0
Reply
Mike Babcock

Problem with having Kane is that we don’t have players who can finish his passing plays.

Even Cat whiffs on a lot of them.

Kane is still trying to pretend he’s elite and he isn’t.

He’s still very good.

But this Red Wings team has too much of the same type of player.

Small, skilled and finesse guys.

Put them together and they’re too easy to play against.

Kane needs to be on a team where he’s not counted on as being a top player.

But on Detroit he is.

And I agree that Kane’s teammates defer to him too much.

They pass up prime scoring chances when he’s on the ice.

Last edited 7 days ago by Mike Babcock
0
Reply