The Detroit Red Wings looked down and out heading into the new year. Detroit was abysmal in the month of December, dropping out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the change in the calendar may have been what the Winged Wheel needed. Detroit lost on Wednesday, but they began 2024 on a positive note.

The Red Wings went 9-2-2 in January, including their overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. After the game, Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the media as he reflected on the team's successful turnaround.

“This was an outstanding month because we put ourselves back in the fight,” Lalonde said, via NHL.com. “That’s what we’ve wanted since I’ve been here, a chance to be in the fight in the second half of the season, and now we’re there. It’s going to be exciting to see what we can do with it.”

Red Wings are contenders for the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Red Wings star J.T. Compher after losing to the Hurricanes.

Detroit's loss to the Senators certainly hurts. However, the Winged Wheel has propelled themselves back up the standings in the Eastern Conference. As of now, the Red Wings hold a six-point lead over the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the East.

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Even in Wednesday's loss, Detroit liked the game they played. “I thought it was a tight-checking game where we didn’t make many mistakes,” said Dylan Larkin, the Red Wings captain, via NHL.com. “We kept them to the outside most of the night, but they got one coming out of the penalty box and we had to get it back.”

Larkin is a major reason for Detroit's turnaround, in fact. His goal on Wednesday gave him 16 points over an ongoing 12-game point streak. Furthermore, he became the first Red Wings player to score 10 goals in a calendar month since Justin Abdelkader in 2015, according to NHL.com.

Derek Lalonde and the Red Wings have a rather imposing February schedule ahead of them. They return to action on February 10th, playing host to the Vancouver Canucks. Let's see if Detroit can keep things going and remain in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.