DETROIT — If the NHL season were to end today, the Red Wings would be in the playoffs.
Now, the Wings have 63 games left so the season's actual end is a long way off. Nobody is getting carried away (well, some on social media are).
But after Wednesday's 3-0 victory over Nashville, the Wings are in the playoff chase on American Thanksgiving, which in the NHL's past history, gives them an approximately 75% chance of making the playoffs (given the results of past years) when the playoffs actually begin.
Having missed the postseason the last six seasons and usually being pretty far back at this juncture, this is all good news for Wings fans.
There was plenty of good news Wednesday, also, as the Wings (10-5-4) opened a five-game homestand with an impressive win over Nashville (9-9-2).
Goaltender Ville Husso, who starred throughout the game, stopped 26 shots for his third shutout and Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek (power play) had second-period goals to ignite the victory. It was Larkin's ninth goal and Hronek's fifth, but fourth in the last three games.
Michael Rasmussen added an empty-net goal.
A turning point in the game was the Wings killing a 1-minute, 37-second Nashville two-man advantage midway in the second period, with the Wings clinging to a 1-0 lead. Husso made superb stops on Ryan Johansen and Roman Josi during the Predators power play, igniting a loud, Thanksgiving Eve crowd.
