DETROIT — Two years ago at the All-Star break, the Red Wings were 12-35-4 and hopelessly out of the playoff race.
The rebuild of the organization looked long and painful.
But here the Wings are now, and the situation looks much less gloomy.
There's still work to be done for general manager Steve Yzerman and his staff, but there is hope.
If the Wings can defeat the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, they'll head into this All-Star break above .500 — they are 20-20-6 right now — which would have seemed impossible a few years back.
"I think about it, it's there, it happened," forward Dylan Larkin said of the past several seasons, when the Wings would fall out of the playoff chase early and losses mounted. "I try to look at the positives, but it was a hard time and you just kind of fear you don't want to be in that position again. That really drove me in summers and motivated me, and hopefully for the best."
The Wings have improved to the point where heading into this break, they are allowing themselves to think about the playoffs. Granted, they are on the outskirts, and the fact the Boston Bruins, the team ahead of the Wings, have games in hand will make the task extremely difficult.
Realistically, the odds are slim. But the fact they can feel frustrated about games and points lost, speaks to the improvement they've made.
"We're in it, and it's closer than we have been in the past," Larkin said. "But there's a point where there's been some stretches, some games, some periods where we've let some points go. We're in a position right now we can't afford that. We have to really focus and start playing playoff hockey and if we get there, the way we play right now, it's only going to help if we can make it.
"We're going to have to have everyone ready, and we're getting some guys back, which is a huge bonus. We're going to have to start that playoff mentality right now."
The Wings took out valuable lessons during these recent losing seasons, said Larkin, and continue to learn this season about the importance of consistency.
"We're a lot closer than we were a year ago, now, and as the season has gone on we've learned a lot," Larkin said. "We've played good hockey, we've had times where we haven't played good hockey. But we bounced back and you're going to go through that during a long season.
"With the schedule we have coming up, it's important we stay focused on our game."
Staying even keel
Defenseman Jordan Oesterle is no stranger to being in and out of the lineup, needing to stay sharp so as to be ready when he is called into the lineup.
So this season hasn't been a shock to Oesterle's system.
"Just staying level-headed," said Oesterle, 29, a Dearborn Heights native (Dearborn Divine Child/Western Michigan) who scored Monday's overtime game-winning goal against Anaheim. "We have a great group in there, so it's not hard to come to the rink and go to work with these guys. When your number is called you just go out and perform the best you can."
Oesterle has played in 24 games, with one goal and four assists. Signed to a two-year free agent contract last summer, Oesterle has been the reliable, veteran depth defenseman the Wings envisioned.
"What allows him to be successful in the role that he's in is that he's been able to maintain his confidence," coach Jeff Blashill said. "He hasn't let my decisions at times to not play him shake his confidence. That's a huge thing for these guys and especially for guys that aren't getting top minutes, or are in the lineup every night. You have to find ways to not let other people's decisions affect you and keep your confidence up."
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Ice chips
Defenseman Nick Leddy (upper body) didn't practice Tuesday, and Blashill doesn't anticipate Leddy being ready to join the lineup against the Kings. Leddy was hurt in the second period of Monday's game against Anaheim, and missed the third period.
Danny DeKeyser would likely replace Leddy in the lineup against the Kings.
... The Kings, the Wings' opponent Wednesday, are a different type of team from the offensively explosive teams the Wings have seen recently.
"They present a different challenge defensively," Blashill said. "Very good defensive team and they tend to end up in games somewhat lower scoring, not that they can't create offense, because they can. They have great structure and are hard around the net, and get pucks and jam your net."
