from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com,

The Red Wings are still closer to the bottom of the standings than the top, 22nd in point percentage (.500), and play the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-D+, NESN, NHL.TV). They're 0-4-3 in their last seven and 2-10-5 in their last 17 against them.

But Detroit is about where it should be through a quarter of the season, and the start has reinforced the philosophy behind the rebuild: mixing veterans with younger players, trying to be as competitive as possible for short-term success and long-term development.

The Red Wings went 30-39-13 for 73 points last season, 13th in the Eastern Conference and 27th in the NHL. In September, center Dylan Larkin said, "There's no reason why we can't be an 80-point-plus team and right there fighting for a playoff spot." With 20 points in 20 games, Detroit is on pace for 82 points and in the mix, at least, in the jam-packed East.

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