from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Coach Derek Lalonde had urged the Wings to remember how hard they played during the 9-2-2 run in January, and that ultimately is what they did to bank two points against a team that has won its way to the top of the NHL standings. The Wings (27-18-6), meanwhile have won their way into the picture for the Eastern Conference wild-card spots and even a shot at third place in the Atlantic Division.

"This is going to be a battle for us," Lalonde said Saturday. "If we are going to be fortunate enough to get over the line, it’s probably going to be Game 82. We’ll be fighting for every point. To get there you have to have some believability, and wins like this certainly helps."...

"It shows you have to stick with it, and that’s what I mean by structure, by playing the right way, all that stuff," Perron said. "We have firepower, we can come back and play different ways, but most of our wins need to come from the identity we showed all of January. We have to get back at it.

"These games are going to get harder and harder. You have teams that are falling off but sometimes they’re the tough teams to play against — they play loose. Other teams are trying to push us down, so every single night is going to be a different challenge."...

The Wings have another extended trip out west coming next week, when they visit the Edmonton Oilers (on Tuyesday), the Canucks again (on Thursday), the Calgary Flames (on Saturday) and then wrap up the trip in Seattle against the Kraken on Feb. 19. There are 31 games left — 12 before the March 8 trade deadline — and starting the post-break run on such a confidence-inducing note was just what the Wings needed.

"We win in different ways, that’s what is so special for us," Perron said. "As our details keep getting better and better, as we understand how important every puck is in the D-zone, all that stuff, playing the right way, I think we’re going to get better and better, and that is what is really exciting about our team."

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