Austin Konenski
The Detroit Red Wings are collapsing. After another strong start to an NHL season, Detroit is outside of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with five games remaining. The Red Wings sit two points behind the Ottawa Senators and their Stanley Cup Playoffs hopes are fading quickly.
As of Monday, April 6, Detroit has a 4-6-0 record in the last 10 games, with only one win in the last five matchups. After going down 4-1 against the Minnesota Wild on Easter Sunday, the Red Wings tied it in third period. Then, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane committed a selfish penalty, leading to a Minnesota power play goal.
After the Senators beat the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit is now two points out of the Wild Card picture without the tiebreaker. Now, the Red Wings likely need to win at least four of the next five games to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Detroit Red Wings’ playoff outlook with five games left in 2026
Detroit has a pivotal week of NHL games coming up. The Red Wings likely need to win at least four games to pass the Senators. Since Ottawa holds the tiebreaker, Detroit needs to earn three more points over the organization in the next five games.
The Red Wings play the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers to close out the regular season. Detroit need to win the games against the non-playoff teams, New Jersey and Florida, while likely winning two out of three against Columbus, Philadelphia, and Tampa Bay.
The biggest issue for the Red Wings is the remaining schedule for the Senators. Ottawa plays New Jersey, Florida, Tampa, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders. Currently, four of the five teams are not in the playoffs. Granted, New York is on the playoff bubble as well.
If the Senators win four of the next five games, they will make the playoffs, even if the Red Wings win all five matchups. This means Detroit needs Ottawa to win no more than three games if the team can run the table down the stretch. However, this is only the angle for the Senators.
The Red Wings have to outscore the Blue Jackets, likely requiring a win on Tuesday night. Detroit also has to outscore the Islanders, which has one point in one extra matchup. However, Detroit has lost four of the last five games, and hold an 8-9-3 record since the Olympic break. The goaltending is slacking while the offense is struggling to score in five-on-five play.
Time is running out, and if the Red Wings don’t turn it around on Tuesday night, their season will be ending in five games.
Read More: Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman on Hot Seat if Team Misses NHL Playoffs
