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As they head to Boston to face the Bruins Saturday in their fifth game of the NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings are still in search of their first victory of the campaign, and it’s been a long time since they could say that.
The last time the Wings were this bad out of the gate, Dale McCourt was their leading scorer, Gilles Gilbert their goalie and Ted Lindsay was their coach. Those were the 1980-81 Wings, and they opened 0-5, a club record for the most losses to start a season.
“Obviously you want to get that first win as soon as you can,” Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser said. “I think the longer it drags out, it kind of starts to wear on you a little bit. But you’ve just got to not let that happen and make sure mentally that you’re dialed in out there. Just go out there and hopefully we can get the first win.”
Detroit’s worst-ever start to a season came in 1975-76, when the Wings opened 0-7-3.
Wings’ Worst Starts To A Season:
Longest Losing Streaks
1980-81: 0-5
2018-19: 0-4*
1973-74 0-4
1966-67: 0-4
1938-39: 0-4
Longest Winless Streaks
1975-76: 0-7-3
1946-47: 0-4-1
1929-30: 0-4-1
1977-78: 0-2-2
1960-61: 0-1-3
1935-36: 0-1-3
*Active streak
Boston Massacre
The current Wings are well-positioned to equal the franchise standard for season-opening futility. They’ve lost six in a row to the Bruins, three of those games in overtime. Boston is 14-1-1 in the past 16 meetings with Detroit.
“They’ve been a good team,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “Here’s the challenges they present - they play really good north hockey, they jam it down your throats real fast. So if you don’t gap out of your end real well, they’re going to come at you. If you don’t manage the puck in the neutral zone well, they’re going to come at you.
“In the O-zone, I think they have done a real good job of having a shot mentality from the blue line, they get shots to the net quick.”
Boston has won eight in a row at home versus the Wings in regular season, and 10 in a row at home including playoffs. Detroit’s last win in Boston was Game 1 of the 2014 playoffs. The last regular-season win there by the Wings was on Oct. 14, 2013, a 3-2 verdict.
Kelly Honor
The Wings will retire the No. 4 sweater worn with distinction from 1947-60 by defenseman Red Kelly.
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969, Kelly, 91, won four Stanley Cups with the Wings. He was the first winner of the Norris Trophy and an eight-time NHL All-Star Team selection.
The ceremony will be held prior to Detroit’s Feb. game against Toronto. Traded to the Maple Leafs in 1960 Kelly won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs as well.
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