Joyful Resurgence: How the Red Wings Rediscovered Their Spark!

Patrick Kane and Joe Veleno were sharing smiles and humor regarding goal celebrations during the interview session on Tuesday. This presented a marked difference from the somber and bleak postgame conferences the Detroit Red Wings were dealing with not too long ago.

This squad is enjoying themselves once more and has unexpectedly developed a fresh perspective on a season that was plummeting two weeks prior. Their 3-2 victory against the Ottawa Senators, thanks to Kane’s overtime tally, marked their fifth consecutive win under new coach Todd McLellan. The Red Wings (18-18-4) are now just two points shy of the final wild card playoff berth.

“I believe a month ago, if someone had told us we’d be in this position, everyone on the team would have accepted it,” Kane remarked. “Therefore, we’ve accomplished our objectives over the last five games to place ourselves in a favorable scenario and have half a season to maintain it.”

What is the change in a team that just eight days ago was sharing the bottom position in the Eastern Conference with Buffalo? It’s quite apparent.

“Clearly, we owe a lot to Todd,” Kane stated. “He’s come in and done a remarkable job of altering some strategies, aiding us in becoming a bit more assertive in our play, and importantly, boosting the confidence in the locker room.”

Confidence equates to tenacity.

Following Pittsburgh’s Drew O’Connor leveling the match early in the third frame on Dec. 31, J.T. Compher netted the decisive goal with 5:34 to go. On Thursday in Columbus, they successfully killed a penalty after an unsuccessful coach’s challenge on James van Riemsdyk’s equalizer with 2:41 on the clock, securing victory with Jonatan Berggren’s goal 36 seconds prior to the end. Just two nights later, they triumphed against the league-leading Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, Veleno leveled the match five minutes into the third frame before Kane’s power-play score at 2:21 of overtime.

“If you lack that trait or it’s absent, you probably aren’t a very proficient hockey team,” McLellan commented on tenacity. “If you possess it, you have the potential to be one. And since Christmas, I’ve observed a lot of resilience in the players. Even during practice when things don’t click, they bounce back. No one is sulking. They are completely engaged right now. They are eager to work hard, and it’s visible during games.”

The enthusiasm is evident in their goal celebrations. Kane’s iconic down-on-one-knee fist pump has been replicated numerous times throughout his Hall-of-Fame career. Similarly, Veleno also went down on one knee, enthusiastically pumping his fist multiple times.

“I think it was the second-best celebration of the night,” Kane remarked regarding Veleno’s response. “It was pretty impressive, though. He had a few pumps in there. Not sure what the final count was. It might have been over/under 3½ pumps, and I think I’m going with the over. It’s great to witness that excitement. Scoring in this league is a challenge, and it’s fantastic when players show such enthusiasm.”

Veleno skated over to the glass to celebrate with a fan.

“I was just really thrilled,” Veleno shared. “I realized it was a significant goal, and being down, it certainly feels good. As Kaner said, scoring in this league is quite tough. Maybe not for him, but certainly for those who don’t find the net often.”