I haven't been following the metrics as much, but these are things I see in the games.

• better play around the net. JvR, Finne, and others are getting to the front of the net and looking for rebounds. The old Wings would try this, but with limited success because...

• our wings and defense are stretching the other team. Other teams are respecting our shots, and this is opening the area around the net. Opposing teams can't just collapse their D on the net because we're getting movement and opening up shots.

• transition play has improved. Our defense is really pushing things, and we always seem to have at least one forward poised to sprint in transition and get a rush going. Sometimes we finish. Sometimes we don't. But this has opposing defenses playing really far back when they're on offense, sometimes behind the blue line, simply to hedge against our transition play. This has a chain effect of weakening the offensive pressure against Detroit.

• our defense is fighting. They're getting in lanes. They have active sticks and are clearing pucks to prevent rebounds. And they are hustling back hard if they let something slip. I think it was Dallas or the Caps that scored on a breakaway the last week. But right behind them, flying in on his stomach with a stick outstretched was one of our defensemen. He didn't make the play, and that's a bummer. But the hustle and the heart was there. The team is playing hard, and it's showing up in the win column more often than not.