DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are six points out of last place in the NHL this season.
With eight games remaining on their schedule, the Red Wings are more-or-less a lock for a high draft lottery pick this summer.
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However, a young group of forwards led by Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou is giving the team and fans hope for next season and beyond. Both Larkin and Athanasiou are approaching the 30-goal mark, something neither has accomplished in his relatively short NHL career.
Larkin leads the Red Wings with 64 points. Athanasiou has 49 points, but leads the team with 29 goals. Larkin is one back with 28 goals. If both were to reach 30 goals before this season ends, it would be the first time since 2008-09 that the Red Wings have had two 30-goal scorers.
In fact, that's how long it's been since any Red Wings player has reached the milestone. In that 2008-09 season Marian Hossa scored 40, Johan Franzen scored 34, Pavel Datsyuk scored 32 and Henrik Zetterberg scored 31.
Right now, four of the top five points leaders for the Red Wings are all under the age of 25 -- Athanasiou is 24, Larkin is 22, Anthony Mantha (36 points) is 23, and Tyler Bertuzzi (35 points) is 23.
Here's what's left on the Red Wings schedule:
| March 28, 2019 | @ Buffalo (7 p.m.) | |
|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2019 | vs. New Jersey (7:30 p.m.) | |
| March 31, 2019 | vs. Boston (7:30 p.m.) | |
| April 2, 2019 | vs. Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m.) | |
| April 4, 2019 | @ Pittsburgh (7 p.m.) | |
| April 6, 2019 | vs. Buffalo (7 p.m.) |