Michigan Sports
The Red Wings are a Motor City rebuilding project
AP
Usually, their winged-wheel logo is at least near the top of the Western Conference standings.
Detroit’s recent surge — earning a point in seven of its last eight games — has pushed the perennial NHL powerhouse merely into an eighth-place tie after play Tuesday night.
It’s early and no one thinks Detroit is a bad team. But it’s an open question whether the Red Wings will be able to earn home ice advantage in the playoffs for an 18th straight year.
‘‘We’re going to have to fight just to make the playoffs and it’s going to be a grind,’’ said senior vice president Jim Devellanno, the first person owner Mike Ilitch hired when he bought the team in 1982. ‘‘To get home-ice advantage would be a miracle. A miracle.’’
Detroit has been a top-four seeded team the past 17 postseasons, winning four Stanley Cups and finishing as the runner-up last season for the second time during its dominant stretch.
Devellano says just making it to the postseason will be a difficult task because the team lost players such as Marian Hossa during the offseason who combined to score 88 goals and now is without forward Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula because of injuries.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland disagreed, insisting the roster is still talented enough to win a ninth-straight Central Division title and 13th in 16 seasons.
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