Red Wings lead the NHL in pair of key categories

It was a month that they just had to have, and they've started the current month off on the right foot as well. 

Thanks to timely scoring owing to their vastly-improved depth, the Detroit Red Wings enjoyed a badly-needed winning month of January, finishing the first 31 days of 2024 with a 9-2-2 record to propel them right back into the playoff picture. They've only played a single game in February owing to the NHL All-Star break, but they took care of business at Little Caesars Arena Saturday afternoon thanks to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks. 

Their 3rd period comeback effort was the latest for the Red Wings this season, a category that they lead the NHL in. Additionally, they led the NHL in number of players having reached double-digits in goals with 10; for context, they only had seven last season. Their 3.49 goals per game average is also good for fourth overall in the NHL. 

GM Steve Yzerman has worked diligently in improving Detroit's depth in a major way, and fans are seeing the results not only on the scoresheet but in the standings as well. 

Veteran forward David Perron's words after their January 2 victory over the San Jose Sharks in the Bay Area helped as much as anything to serve as the catalyst for Detroit's rise in the standings, declaring that they needed "18, 20 points" in the month of January. 

"We were slipping away from the playoff picture and I counted in my head how many points I thought we would need to get comfortable and really get back in the picture like we ended up doing," Perron said. 

"Sometimes you just gotta manifest a little bit of your energy," he continued. "It's just the start of it, though."

Tonight, the Red Wings begin a western road swing starting with a matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, whom they took to overtime last month thanks to a stellar performance in net from goaltender Alex Lyon. 

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