It is hard to call anyone a contender after only a handful of games but the Detroit Red Wings certainly don’t look like pretenders at this moment in time. On Sunday, they beat down the Calgary Flames in Detroit by a final score of 6-2. It was incredible to watch.
That came after their highly anticipated early-season tilt with the Ottawa Senators. These two Atlantic Division foes are both starting to take big steps forward but Detroit had the much better play in that game. They beat Ottawa by a final score of 5-2.
Yes, the Wings outscored the two Canadian teams that they played this weekend by a final score of 11-4. They also haven’t lost since the season opener when the New Jersey Devils took them down in Neward. Now, they are 5-1-0 after this incredible run to begin the year.
So what is it that makes Detroit so lethal right now? Well, for one, Alex DeBrincat might be the best off-season acquisition made by any team so far. He had a hat trick and an assist in the Calgary game for a four-point afternoon.
The Detroit Red Wings are truly a special baseball team right now.
Of course, the man known as “The Cat” was traded to the Wings by that Sens team during the summer. DeBrincat is from Farmington Hills, Michigan so this is a homecoming for him. Clearly, he is comfortable playing with the winged wheel on his chest.
Thanks to DeBrincat, they literally scored the same number of points as the Detroit Lions did at the same exact time. For the hockey team to be keeping up with the football team on the same day is a great look for the NHL club but a horrible look for the NFL club.
DeBrincat now leads the NHL in scoring with 12 points. Eight of those 12 points are goals. Dylan Larkin is also second in league scoring with 11 points right now. Both of them have been outstanding in their own right.
It always felt like these two guys had the skills needed to become superstars in the NHL but we knew they had to kick it into another gear. Now, we are seeing Larkin play with top wing talent which is something he’s been missing for a while. These two are great for each other.
It also helps that studs like Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, and Jonatan Berggren amongst others have been playing so well (and are so smart) for this team that needs as much help as they can get. With James Reimer and Ville Husso in net, they can really develop into a good team as the year moves along.
You never know what can happen in the NHL but this start for the Red Wings is a great sign. They could fall apart but it seems like a team that is clearly ahead of schedule. Hopefully, they are able to keep this going and make the great Detroit fans excited once again. They are certainly the early-season wagon right now.