There is no more tightly contested division in the NHL right now than the Atlantic, which features several clubs that just can’t seem to lose.
The main focus for fans of Hockeytown is the Detroit Red Wings, who are in a first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the division’s top spot; the Lightning have won 12 of their last 13 games.
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Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all gone on prolonged winning streaks of their own. Only eight points separate the first seed from the fifth seed.
For the Red Wings, they understand the importance of raising their level of competition against Atlantic Division opponents.
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“They mean a lot, it’s a four-point game if you win in regulation, and you can get that advantage over them,” Alex DeBrincat explained after scoring the overtime game-winner on Sunday evening against the Ottawa Senators, another Atlantic Division opponent. “An overtime win is good too, but I think you get more amped up for them. You see them four times a year, and there’s a little bit of a rivalry there, so you have to be ready to play.”
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While the Red Wings didn’t get off to the start they wanted against Ottawa, they rallied for their second win over the Senators in two weeks after a 5–3 victory on Jan. 5.
Speaking of divisional opponents, the Red Wings will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday for the fourth and final time this season, barring a matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Red Wings, who have already defeated the Maple Leafs three times this season, have been mostly playing with more energy and “juice” in the eyes of head coach Todd McLellan.
“I think our guys have been coming to the rink with a lot of juice for all the games, which is a real good sign,” McLellan said. “Now, divisional, yes, they understand the standings and circumstances of wins and losses.”
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“We talk about winning season series; we’ve got four points against this team now, and they have one,” he continued. “We can’t quite have the series in the bag, but it certainly helps. Our group has been coming to play….for the most part, we’re there.”
Detroit has two remaining games against the Senators this season, starting with their first game in the post-Olympic break on Feb. 26, followed by the fourth and final matchup in Detroit on March 24.
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