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The Daily: Red Wings Fight Just Starting; Big Ned Vents

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Todd McLellan, Red Wings

It’s Sunday morning and the Detroit Red Wings are in a better position today than they were on Christmas Day. But they are worse off than they were Saturday morning.



That’s the Red Wings new reality as they attempt to climb in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

“We’re one game over .500 and we’re negative-15 or 16 in goals for and against, so if that is the map to complacency, then shame on us. We’ve worked hard to feel good. Do we want to give that back?,” coach Todd McLellan said recently. “I don’t know the group well enough to say that, ‘Hey, we got it under control.’ They’ll continue to play hard and we’ll figure it out as we go. But I don’t sense it. We’re not going to win the next 41 games. We know that. That’s very unrealistic. If a loss does come and it’s an honest loss, we got to live with it and move on. But if it is a complacency loss or give yourself permission to be (bad) on a certain day, the group can do that, too, and we’ll deal with it.”

The Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers all won Saturday. That means the Red Wings lost ground in the playoff race. The race is so tight that being idle can be as hurtful as losing.

The Red Wings are now four points out of a playoff spot and five points out of third place in the Atlantic Division. They were only two points out of a playoff spot after beating Chicago for their six consecutive win Friday. Here’s the added layer of angst: Detroit is one of seven teams within five points of that playoff spot.

Every day one or more of those teams are going to win. The second half of the season is just starting.

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What’s the difference between Derek Lalonde’s Detroit squad and Todd McLellan’s group? Patrick Kane has the answer.

GM Steve Yzerman‘s coaching change has allowed the Red Wings to look at themselves in a different light.

Red Wings Extra

In theory, the Red Wings are facing a weary Seattle Kraken team Sunday in a matinee game at Little Caesars Arena (3 p.m., ET, FanDuel Sports Network). The Kraken (18-22-3) beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 Saturday afternoon and then flew to Detroit to meet the Red Wings. Detroit hasn’t known much luck against the Kraken: Since coming to the NHL, Seattle is 4-0-2 vs. Detroit.

Hockey Network

New Jersey: Jacob Markstrom had the wow factor in his win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia: Travis Konecny posts four assists in Flyers shellacking over the Anaheim Ducks.  Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Dave Molinari writes that the Ottawa Senators again brought the very worst out of the Pittsburgh Penguins.