From young players in the top six to uncertainty in goal, these questions have significant implications in the present and future.

The Detroit Red Wings have taken a beating, figuratively speaking, the past couple of weeks. The Buffalo Sabres tried to administer a beating, literally, Wednesday after the game got out of hand. The Red Wings weren’t having it.

The Red Wings have failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for eight straight seasons, the longest drought in their storied history, and now they’re one of five teams fighting for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference,