In the third period of Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, an NHL hockey game in Detroit, defenseman Jeff Petry (46), left wing Max Jones of the Anaheim Ducks, and wing Daniel Sprong (17) hold Jones back. Carlos Osorio/AP Photo
ANAHEIM, California The Detroit Red Wings, who are having a great start to 2024, will play the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday to wrap out their tour of California in the Golden State.
For the winged wheel, the New Year has started off perfectly. For a club that has been struggling, like the Red Wings were, travelling to California may mean problems. They did, however, come back to defeat the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks, defeating the latter in a shootout on Thursday night.
Although Detroit still has a ways to go before they can be regarded as true postseason candidates, they will rise back up the standings if their star players—David Perron, Dylan Larkin, and Patrick Kane—keep up their strong play in goal and Alex Lyon continues to be a reliable stopper. They are three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for third place in the Atlantic Division as of Sunday. Detroit and the Tampa Bay Lightning are tied for the last Eastern Conference Wild Card berth, separated by only one point.
The Ducks sit well out of a postseason position. Despite having a wealth of young talent, including players like Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras, the club has not been able to gel well enough to be more competitive. The Ducks are currently eighth in the Pacific Division, six points clear of the San Jose Sharks in bottom place, having dropped their previous four games, all at home, following their defeat to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
On December 18, the Ducks defeated the Wings in Detroit, despite their disparate records.
