from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,

When the Detroit Red Wings were still within striking distance of the Boston Bruins in the playoff race, I had a conversation with a team executive with another NHL team.

I mentioned the Red Wings were hanging in there this season, a bit more competitive than they were last season. They were six or eight points out of a playoff spot.

“It’s fool’s gold,” he said. “Because of the schedule, the Bruins haven’t played as many games. They are not really in the race. I would guess Steve Yzerman knows the Red Wings aren’t a playoff team.”

He was right about the fool’s gold. It didn’t take long for the Red Wings to freefall behind the Bruins. Today, the Red Wings are 28 points out of a playoff spot. And maybe he was right about Yzerman. The Detroit GM probably knew his team isn’t yet playoff-worthy.

Some things did go right for the Red Wings. The arrival of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond gives the franchise reason for optimism. Captain Dylan Larkin came back strong from a major injury. Tyler Bertuzzi was equally consistent offensively. Jakub Vrana is showing he can be a dangerous scorer. Alex Nedeljkovic displayed promise.

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