The Red Wings Are Collapsing: Five-Game Skid Caps Off Nightmare Week

Anger and frustration are boiling over in Hockeytown. The Detroit Red Wings have dropped five straight games and have tumbled out of a playoff position. To make matters worse, GM Steve Yzerman underwhelmed at the NHL trade deadline, failing to make the big splash many fans were hoping for.

Red Wings' Unlucky Offense:

Detroit’s current skid isn’t just about poor play—it’s also about brutal puck luck.

• March 6: The Wings outshot Utah Hockey Club 40–19… and still lost 4–2.

• March 4: They held the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes to just two goals but couldn’t find the net themselves in a 2–1 loss.

• March 1: A blatant missed high-stick on Columbus forward Justin Danforth led to the Blue Jackets’ game-winner.

Bad bounces, missed calls, and offensive frustration are all part of the game. But for Detroit, that string of bad luck couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Inconsistent Play:

More than anything, this rough patch has exposed the Red Wings’ biggest issue: inconsistency.

When they’re clicking, Detroit can light the lamp with four or more goals and pepper the net with 35+ shots. But when they go cold, they’re lucky to register 20 shots and generate any real scoring chances.

The same applies to the defense and goaltending. One night, Alex Lyon or Cam Talbot looks unbeatable behind a dialed-in defense. The next, the Wings can’t seem to stop anything as mistakes pile up in their own zone.

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch a team with this much talent and playoff hunger get derailed by a lack of consistency. And with every missed opportunity, the pressure only grows heavier.

Yzerman’s Deadline Decisions Fall Flat:

Throughout the season, rumors swirled about the Wings being in the market for a high-impact addition—names like Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, or John Gibson floated around. With Detroit seemingly one key piece away from making serious playoff noise, the expectations were sky-high heading into the deadline.

Instead, Yzerman brought back former Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek and added veteran forward Craig Smith from Chicago. Solid depth moves, but not the kind of acquisitions that signal a full playoff push.

Especially with names like Brad Marchand, Mikko Rantanen, and Brock Nelson reportedly available, it felt like a missed opportunity for Detroit to take that next step.

19 Games to Save the Season:

All is not lost. The Wings still have 19 games left, including key matchups against Eastern Conference foes also fighting for wildcard spots—two meetings with the Senators, plus games against the Bruins and Canadiens.

It’s familiar territory. Just last year, Detroit found itself in a similar playoff dogfight, ultimately falling one win short of the Washington Capitals.

This time, they’ll need more than just effort—they’ll need consistency, discipline, and maybe a little bit of that luck that’s been missing lately.

The clock is ticking. The question now is: how will the Red Wings respond?