The Detroit Red Wings are starting a lengthy road trip and coach Todd McLellan looks forward to the journey.
Detroit begins a six-game road swing on Thursday night in Ohio against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday by holding off Boston, 5-4. Detroit lost on Saturday at Boston, 3-2, in a shootout.
“It’s always better to get on a plane with three of our last four points against a rival,” McLellan said. “So we’ll take that. We still have work to do as a team and maybe getting out on the road will be something good for us.”
The Red Wings played 10 of their last 13 games at home, but they failed to take advantage of that stretch by going 5-6-2. The six-game journey, which continues with stops at Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Chicago, could prove pivotal to a team trying to end a nine-year playoff drought.
“It’s been about a month since we’ve actually really been gone,” McLellan said. “So this one’s going to be a long one. It won’t be an easy one. But I’m looking forward to it. It will be a good challenge for our players.”
Future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane had three assists in the two games against the Bruins but will be looking to break a nine-game goal-less streak on Thursday.
“He’s got 495 of them, doesn’t he? So I’m not too worried about Patrick Kane not scoring,” McLellan said. “He gets some chances, he makes some real good plays. When you score that many, you don’t forget how to score. It’ll come and you’ve seen before, when it comes it usually comes in bunches.”
The Blue Jackets ended a four-game losing streak — including three that went into overtime — with a 5-3 victory over New Jersey on Monday. The first of those losses came against Detroit, when Alex DeBrincat scored in OT for a 4-3 win on Nov. 22.
The Devils had an early 2-0 lead on Monday, but the Blue Jackets scored four unanswered goals. After New Jersey pulled within a goal, Miles Wood scored the clincher with 6:29 remaining.
“Lately, things haven’t been going our way (in the third period), so you can say it’s going to be the same old song and dance when they made it 4-3, but we just keep playing the right way,” said Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle, who had a goal and two assists. “It’s a big goal to extend the lead and then play with the lead and keep our momentum going that way.”
Columbus finds itself in last place in the tightly bunched Metropolitan Division, so the victory was much needed.
“With everything that unfolded (Monday), it was just us sticking up for each other and having each other’s back,” said Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. “I think that’s important in a long season, and it’s a great win for our group.”
