Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Red Wings in First Place: Real Contenders or Just Hot for 20 Games?
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Red Wings in First Place: Real Contenders or Just Hot for 20 Games?
The Red Wings reached the 20-game mark in first place in the Atlantic Division. But does the record match the reality?
This week on Red Wings Rant, we break down:
• Todd McLellan’s message on game management — and why it matters
• How Detroit blew a 4–1 lead, then responded with back-to-back wins
• Why the stars (Larkin, DeBrincat, Raymond, Seider) are carrying this team
• The rookies bounce back: Danielson, Finnie, ASP
• Cam Talbot taking the starting job by force
• John Gibson’s struggles and what it means for the season
• Whether Detroit’s early success is sustainable
Plus: how the Wings compare across the NHL at the 20-game benchmark — and what comes next.
Red Wings Rant: Where tirades and impassioned pleas about your Detroit Red Wings finally have a home.
JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuS
Let’s have fun!
Sponsored by Draft Kings!
Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrant
Episode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up!
Red Wings Rant — Episode Narrative (Nov 19)
“20 Games In: First Place… and Still Flawed?”
The Detroit Red Wings reached the 20-game mark in first place in the Atlantic Division — a sentence that would’ve sounded insane seven days ago, when this team was stuck in the mud, blowing leads, and wrestling with its identity.
And the wildest part?
Both versions of the Red Wings — the playoff version, and the meltdown version — showed up this week.
Last Week: A Test of Consistency
We said:
If the Wings could take advantage of a soft stretch — Ducks, Sabres, Rangers, Kraken — they could claw back into a strong position.
One week later?
They did exactly that.
They handled Anaheim,
threw away a 4–1 lead vs Buffalo but still got a point,
gutted out a win at MSG,
and closed out the Kraken with a mature, structured third period — something they haven’t done most of the season.
That’s growth. That’s progress.
But the path to get here still tells us a lot about the team.
Game Management: The New Buzzword That Actually Matters
Todd McLellan has hammered this theme all year:
“Until this group figures out what’s important at certain times, we’re going to have those nights.”
Against Buffalo?
Total collapse.
Against New York and Seattle?
Finally, the shutdown hockey he’s been begging for.
The Seattle third period wasn’t flashy — five shots allowed, perfect breakouts, clean faceoffs, pucks deep, smart changes.
It was the most professional 20 minutes this team has played this season.
This is what real playoff teams do.
But the challenge now is: Can it be repeated?
Stars Are Driving the Bus
Larkin, DeBrincat, and Raymond are all pacing career-level seasons:
And Moritz Seider is quietly playing elite two-way hockey despite a few headline-grabbing mistakes.
The Rookies: High Impact, High Volatility
The 2023 class stole the show early, then went quiet…
…and came roaring back against Seattle:
These three have brought energy AND mistakes — but the energy has clearly returned to the lineup.
Goaltending: The Split Is Clear
Cam Talbot:
+1 GSAX, making the saves Detroit needs
Steady, calm, veteran presence
John Gibson:
11th-worst GSAX, sub-.875 save percentage
High-danger rebounds, bad-angle goals, and collapsing confidence around him
Detroit’s Jekyll-and-Hyde identity?
It’s not just game management.
It’s also which goalie is in the net.
20-Game Snapshot: The Good and The Questions
What’s working:
What still needs answers:
This is a good team.
It might even be a playoff team.
But the story for the next 62 games is simple:
Are the Red Wings learning how to win? Or surviving despite themselves?
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
View all episodes
By Brothers of Discussion
4.7
2626 ratings
The Red Wings reached the 20-game mark in first place in the Atlantic Division. But does the record match the reality?
This week on Red Wings Rant, we break down:
• Todd McLellan’s message on game management — and why it matters
• How Detroit blew a 4–1 lead, then responded with back-to-back wins
• Why the stars (Larkin, DeBrincat, Raymond, Seider) are carrying this team
• The rookies bounce back: Danielson, Finnie, ASP
• Cam Talbot taking the starting job by force
• John Gibson’s struggles and what it means for the season
• Whether Detroit’s early success is sustainable
Plus: how the Wings compare across the NHL at the 20-game benchmark — and what comes next.
Red Wings Rant: Where tirades and impassioned pleas about your Detroit Red Wings finally have a home.
JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/rd2RUDkzuS
Let’s have fun!
Sponsored by Draft Kings!
Find us on your favorite Podcast App by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/redwingsrant
Episode sponsored by Draft Kings. Use promo code 'THPN' to unlock exclusive offers when you sign up!
Red Wings Rant — Episode Narrative (Nov 19)
“20 Games In: First Place… and Still Flawed?”
The Detroit Red Wings reached the 20-game mark in first place in the Atlantic Division — a sentence that would’ve sounded insane seven days ago, when this team was stuck in the mud, blowing leads, and wrestling with its identity.
And the wildest part?
Both versions of the Red Wings — the playoff version, and the meltdown version — showed up this week.
Last Week: A Test of Consistency
We said:
If the Wings could take advantage of a soft stretch — Ducks, Sabres, Rangers, Kraken — they could claw back into a strong position.
One week later?
They did exactly that.
They handled Anaheim,
threw away a 4–1 lead vs Buffalo but still got a point,
gutted out a win at MSG,
and closed out the Kraken with a mature, structured third period — something they haven’t done most of the season.
That’s growth. That’s progress.
But the path to get here still tells us a lot about the team.
Game Management: The New Buzzword That Actually Matters
Todd McLellan has hammered this theme all year:
“Until this group figures out what’s important at certain times, we’re going to have those nights.”
Against Buffalo?
Total collapse.
Against New York and Seattle?
Finally, the shutdown hockey he’s been begging for.
The Seattle third period wasn’t flashy — five shots allowed, perfect breakouts, clean faceoffs, pucks deep, smart changes.
It was the most professional 20 minutes this team has played this season.
This is what real playoff teams do.
But the challenge now is: Can it be repeated?
Stars Are Driving the Bus
Larkin, DeBrincat, and Raymond are all pacing career-level seasons:
And Moritz Seider is quietly playing elite two-way hockey despite a few headline-grabbing mistakes.
The Rookies: High Impact, High Volatility
The 2023 class stole the show early, then went quiet…
…and came roaring back against Seattle:
These three have brought energy AND mistakes — but the energy has clearly returned to the lineup.
Goaltending: The Split Is Clear
Cam Talbot:
+1 GSAX, making the saves Detroit needs
Steady, calm, veteran presence
John Gibson:
11th-worst GSAX, sub-.875 save percentage
High-danger rebounds, bad-angle goals, and collapsing confidence around him
Detroit’s Jekyll-and-Hyde identity?
It’s not just game management.
It’s also which goalie is in the net.
20-Game Snapshot: The Good and The Questions
What’s working:
What still needs answers:
This is a good team.
It might even be a playoff team.
But the story for the next 62 games is simple:
Are the Red Wings learning how to win? Or surviving despite themselves?
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More shows like Red Wings Rant Podcast
View all
Winged Wheel Podcast - A Detroit Red Wings Podcast
947 Listeners
The Grind Line - A Detroit Red Wings Podcast
81 Listeners
Locked On Tigers - Daily Podcast On The Detroit Tigers
345 Listeners
Locked On NHL - Daily Podcast On The National Hockey League
133 Listeners
OctoPulse: Taking the pulse of the Red Wings rebuild
9 Listeners
Locked On Red Wings - Daily Podcast On The Detroit Red Wings
153 Listeners
The Athletic Hockey Show
461 Listeners
Red Alert - A Detroit Red Wings Podcast
4 Listeners
Hockeytown West Podcast
13 Listeners
Hockeytown Rundown
4 Listeners
The Flying Octopus
0 Listeners
The Conversation Line
40 Listeners
The Sheet with Jeff Marek
308 Listeners
The Gongshow - A Red Wings Podcast
0 Listeners
Ozzy and Keats
15 Listeners