Red Wings are winning on the road, and it's all that matters
The Detroit Red Wings’ first month of the 2025-26 season has been much better than most would have anticipated. The Wings have a share of first place in the Atlantic Division and look poised to remain there, at least for the time being.
Yes, it’s only been a month. But the early returns are encouraging. The team is scoring, the defense is good, and the goaltending is meh.
So, plenty to be hopeful about, right? Well, yes and no.
Yes, the Red Wings have a young club that looks like it’s the real deal. There’s plenty of reason for optimism well beyond this season.
But does that mean Red Wings fans should be salivating at the thought of the Stanley Cup returning to Motown?
That’s where the “no” comes into view. The Red Wings ended a successful week, beating the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and St. Louis Blues. But the problem, as The Athletic’s Max Bultman pointed out in a Nov. 3 piece, the victories aren’t as encouraging as they seem:
“And though their wins over the last week haven’t exactly come over a murderer’s row in terms of competition — between St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Jose, only the Los Angeles Kings are above .500 — there’s something to be said for taking care of business away from home, and across time zones.”
The Red Wings had to go the extra mile to beat the Sharks and Kings. That situation prompted Bultman to add the following thought:
“Now, should the Red Wings have needed shootouts to beat the Kings and Sharks, considering they led both games in the final minutes? Probably not. And that’s something to keep an eye on, as this young team will need to be able to slam the door.”
That comment underscores a critical point. The Red Wings, despite shortcomings, are doing what ultimately matters: Win games. But there’s one thing the club must figure out when it counts most.
Red Wings must lock games down the stretch
Bultman’s point comes on the heels of a tough win against the Sharks on Sunday night. The Red Wings led the game 2-1 in the third following Moritz Seider’s first goal of the season. However, Sam Dickinson got his first tally to tie the game with about three minutes to go.
The situation forced the game into overtime, with the shootout being needed to settle the score. So, a win is a win, right? Well, the Red Wings were able to get away with one just because it was against the Sharks.
But if we’re talking about top-flight teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, or Carolina Hurricanes, blowing third-period leads could be catastrophic.
So, should Red Wings fans fear what lies ahead? Hardly. Fans have to keep in mind that this is a young team. That situation means the club must grow into the roles that lead to holding leads in tough games.
Browns Insider Reveals Injury to Star Rookie Receiver Ahead of Week 10
The Cleveland Browns could be without star rookie receiver Isaiah Bond in Week 10.
Cleveland is coming off its bye week, but in Week 8, Bond suffered an injury that he’s still dealing with. Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com revealed Bond is dealing with a minor foot injury, and the hope is he will be able to play on Sunday.
“Bond, the Browns rookie receiver, suffered a minor foot injury during the loss to the Patriots, a league source told cleveland.com, and sat out Monday’s practice,” Cabot wrote. “He’s day-to-day but should be ready to go by the Jets game.
“If Bond is available, the Browns will have a full complement of receivers for the first time since the Lions game. Cedric Tillman (hamstring) was designated for return from IR on Monday, and said he’ll play on Sunday.”
If Bond is able to play, it would be a big boost to the Browns’ offense and would give Dillon Gabriel another weapon.
Bond signed as an undrafted free agent, as he was accused of sexual assault weeks before the NFL Draft. After being cleared of all charges, Cleveland jumped at the chance to sign the speedy receiver.
Bond has recorded 11 receptions for 123 yards, but he hasn’t had too much of an impact in Cleveland’s offense. He’s gone back-to-back games without recording a catch.
Browns Likely to Get Tillman Back in Week 10
Although Bond is dealing with an injury, the Browns’ offense is expected to get a boost in Week 10 when Cleveland goes on the road to play the New York Jets.
Cedric Tillman is expected to be activated off the IR and has said he will be playing on Sunday.
“I feel good,” Tillman said on Monday. “Ready to go. … Obviously I didn’t want the injury to happen, but I’m not going to sit and pout about it. I’m going to try to get better so I can get on the field.”
Tillman said it was tough being on the sidelines, but he expects to make an immediate impact in his return to the lineup.
“It was frustrating,” Tillman said. “Obviously it’s tough watching, want to help the team out, but I’m back now, going to do everything I can to stay healthy for this team, for this organization and give it my all.
“Just bringing that big-body receiver, get some more size out there. I feel like I can make some plays for this team, so I feel like we’ve got another playmaker out there and also someone that’s going to help in the run game. We got good running backs, so here to help.”
Tillman has recorded 11 receptions for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.
Cleveland Makes Major Offensive Change
Ahead of the Browns’ Week 10 game against the Jets, the team has made a major offensive change.
Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski gave up offensive play-calling to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.
“On play-calling, I’m going to have Tommy (Rees) call the plays on offense,” Stefanski said on Monday. “These are things that I’m always looking at, what can we do better? I have a ton of trust and faith in Tommy. He’s more than capable, so excited for him, but bottom line is we have to just get better, collectively. …
“I look at everything, every week. Certainly, the bye week gives you an opportunity to look at everything. And bottom line is we have to better. We have to better in a lot of facets on the offensive side, and I just felt like Tommy is somebody that I believe in. Obviously hired him here a couple years back because I really believe in Tommy as a coach. He’s done everything that we’ve asked and I just feel like this is the right time for this.”
The Browns are 1.5-point underdogs on the road against the Jets in Week 10.
