NHL

On this edition of the Detroit Red Wings/Detroit News podcast, Ted Kulfan talks about the team's four-game sweep on the western road trip and Sportsnet draft analyst Jason Bukala is the interview guest.

Before Christmas, the odds of the Red Wings making the playoffs were less than one percent under coach Derek Lalonde.

After Christmas, under new coaches Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney, Detroit has gone 15-4-1 and the odds, according to moneypuck.com/predictions, are 50-50 of ending the franchise's eight-year playoff drought.

"As we sit here doing this podcast, I would be a little surprised at this point if they didn't make the playoffs," Kulfan said. "This has been about as good as they've played in years, quite honestly. The one thing which really stood out during this four-game road trip, you kind of expected them to win during points in these games."