‘The best bonding trip is a winning one’: Red Wings upbeat as they head out on six-game, 10-day trek

DETROIT -- The longest road trip of their Centennial season has finally arrived for the Detroit Red Wings, who are set to travel over 4,500 miles, cross four time zones and play six games -- one against an Eastern Conference squad and five versus Western Conference clubs -- over the next 10 days.

“I think it’ll be good for our team to get out,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said prior to departing for Columbus after Wednesday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center. “We’ve been gone, but we really haven’t been gone since we got back from California and Vegas [in early November], so we’re looking forward to it. We just have to play one game at a time. I think every coach in the League would tell you that right now. We’re not looking at the standings because you go from first to seventh in one night without even playing, so it really doesn’t matter.”

This trek, which opens at Nationwide Arena against the Blue Jackets on Thursday night, also marks Detroit’s longest since February 2021. And with a 5-5-1 record away from Little Caesars Arena this season, the Red Wings are out to improve on that mark and pack as many points as they can into their suitcases along the way.

“Bring the game that we’ve had at home and establish a good road game,” goalie Cam Talbot said. “We’ve got a lot of depth and can play any of our lines against any teams on the road.”

There’s a lot of focus on proper recovery and rest throughout the regular season, but Talbot noted how a stretch like this magnifies the importance of taking care of your body on and off the ice.

“It’s not an easy trip,” Talbot said. “A lot of time change, late nights getting in and stuff like that. So, it’s about managing your sleep schedule, first and foremost, your nutrition, hydration. All that kind of stuff plays into what kind of product you put on the ice.”

Fortunately, the Red Wings also have a dedicated support staff that helps put the players in the best position to succeed no matter what city they might find themselves in.

“Everybody is there to service the players so that they can play their best,” McLellan said. “I think the staff here does an outstanding job. They have every tool they need and are committed to it. Our players certainly don’t go without. There are zero excuses, because our staff does such a good job.”

Netminder John Gibson, who made a season-high 34 saves in Tuesday night’s 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena, said the group is embracing the opportunity ahead.

“It’s a big road trip for us, so we got to put the points together,” Gibson said. “Obviously, we want to get off to a good start and got a big win here before the road trip. Hopefully, we can carry that on in Columbus and make it a good trip.”

Sure, a lengthy voyage like this can certainly strengthen team chemistry. But, as McLellan said, the “best bonding trip is a winning one, no matter where you go.”

“We always talk about that before we leave and hope it comes to fruition,” McLellan said. “But if you suck the whole trip, then it’s not a lot of fun bonding like that. There are opportunities for the players to get out, get together, have team dinners and all that stuff that we talk about all the time.”