Detroit Red Wings playoff picture: How does 7-2 loss to Colorado Avalanche affect Hockeytown's postseason chances

The Detroit Red Wings are on track to qualify in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, when players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall, held over from their championship years, were on the verge of retirement.

Since that season, the team hasn't finished higher than fifth in the division, averaging 66 points during the regular season. They did have two shortened campaigns due to the global pandemic, which lowered their totals, but overall, they haven't been close to the playoffs until 2023-24.

Since taking over as general manager in 2019, Steve Yzerman has spearheaded a rebuild that has landed players like captain Dylan Larkin, 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat, and three-time Stanley Cup champion Patrick Kane.

Heading into the NHL trade deadline, the Red Wings have a 69.4% chance of obtaining a playoff spot with 20 games to go. According to MoneyPuck.com, they could win a playoff series (17.8%) and possibly hoist the Stanley Cup (0.3%), but those are the lowest odds of the current 16 teams in the playoff picture.

Coming off a 7-2 defeat at the hand of the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night, does their latest loss affect their chances of obtaining a playoff spot?

Win or lose, the Detroit Red Wings are on pace to reach Stanley Cup playoffs with a favorable schedule

On Friday night, Detroit will be on the road against the Arizona Coyotes, who rank 27th overall in the league's standings. After that matchup, they will travel to face the Vegas Golden Knights, who are in a slump but have been trying to adjust with two big trades earlier in the week.

Then, the Red Wings road trip ends with a game in Buffalo, followed by a rematch with the Coyotes and Sabres on home ice. After a brief stop in Pittsburgh, they'll host the Columbus Blue Jackets at home.

Without listing every remaining opponent over the next 20 games, anyone can see that Detroit will only play one playoff-bound team between now and Mar. 23, when they face the Nashville Predators on the road.

They will have a tough stretch to close out March with three straight games against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, followed by a showdown with the New York Rangers.

After the Apr. 5 game against New York, the Red Wings will finish the regular season with a trio of games against Canadian teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a back-to-back against Montreal. Overall, 13 of their last 20 games (65%) are against teams below them in the standings.

Unfortunately, climbing into the Atlantic Division playoff picture is almost a moot point since Detroit trails the Maple Leafs by eight points with no games in hand. However, they are the top team in the wildcard race, with a better win percentage than the Lightning, .581 to .571.

But the silver lining after 62 games is that the Red Wings have a four-point cushion on the New York Islanders, the top team outside the playoff picture with 68 points. Although their competitors have a game in hand, their final schedule includes 11 games against playoff opponents, making their trek slightly more challenging.

Ahead of the NHL trade deadline, Detroit shouldn't be active. They will likely remain stagnant with their current lineup, which has three 50-point scorers in Larkin, DeBrincat and Raymond. Additionally, Kane is producing at a point-per-game pace, with 31 points in 31 games since debuting on Dec. 7.

The only concern that the Red Wings should worry about is overplaying Alex Lyon, who two months ago surpassed his previous career high in starts at 15. In 31 games thus far, he's compiled an 18-11-2 record with a 2.89 GAA and .910 SV%.

Lyon has shared the crease with Ville Husso (9-5-2) and James Reimer (6-6-2) this season and should be the starter when the playoffs begin. Unfortunately for Detroit fans, none of their goalies have a massive amount of playoff experience, making it one of their weakest links in a potential matchup with the Panthers or Rangers in the opening round.

It's been a long time coming for faithful Red Wings fans, who were spoiled with four Stanley Cup titles over a 25-year postseason run from 1991 to 2016. Even though the odds are stacked against them bringing the Stanley Cup back to Motown in 2024, they are inching closer to returning to the mountaintop.

Just making the playoffs this year will significantly boost the confidence of their young players, who have been part of the rebuild for the past few seasons. Once they get a taste of postseason action, they will be better equipped for the battles ahead en route to a championship title soon.