TEMPE, Ariz. — The Detroit Red Wings have been here before, beaten up in lopsided losses the week of the trade deadline.

But what has happened over the past week, magnified by Friday's 3 p.m. deadline, has a much different feel than what the Wings endured at the 2023 deadline. Last year, they had only just risen far enough into the NHL standings to get inside the playoff picture when a losing streak in late February/early March sent them into a tailspin; this year, they've been in a wild-card berth for several weeks and are still there.

Losing 7-2 at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, three days after losing 4-0 at home to the Florida Panthers, does add pressure to coming away with a victory when this four-game road trip continues Friday at the Arizona Coyotes. But to put things in perspective, the Panthers have the best record in the league and the Avs have the best home record.

IN GOOD HANDS: Red Wings 'have full trust' in Steve Yzerman as NHL trade deadline looms

If anything, it's the Feb. 29 loss the Wings (33-23-6) should rue the most, because they spotted the New York Islanders the first period and wound up losing, 5-3.

None of the losses have been as ugly as the 6-2 and 6-1 routs delivered at the end of February last year by the Ottawa Senators, which helped convince general manager Steve Yzerman to make significant changes to the team. Those changes have put the Wings on pace to finish with 95 points, which should earn them a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The biggest focus for the Wings is to get back to player better defensively, especially with leading scorer Dylan Larkin sidelined by a lower-body injury at least until mid-March. They have to help their goaltenders more; Alex Lyon was the busiest worker on the ice the first 10-12 minutes of the Colorado game. The Wings ended up calling off Thursday's scheduled practice about an hour after the loss in Denver, but could decide on some new looks in preparation for the Arizona game, especially up front.

After Friday's game, the Wings head to Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights Saturday. The defending Stanley Cup champions just beefed up for another run by adding coveted defenseman Noah Hanifin, and they also acquired former Wings forward Anthony Mantha, who had been playing for the Washington Capitals since the 2021 deadline trade.

The Knights look formidable, but four of the next five games are against the Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres, neither of which are in the playoff picture. Neither are multiple other opponents that make up the rest of the Wings' 20-game slate, and those are the games they need to win to stay in it.

The Wings put in so much hard work in January and February that March's early stumbles aren't a cause for concern. The Wings didn't project to be a Stanley Cup contender even when they picked up 20 points their first 13 games of 2024, but if they get back to player better defensively, they still project to earn a playoff spot.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from  Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

Next up: Coyotes

Matchup: Red Wings (33-23-6) at Arizona (25-32-5).

Faceoff: 9 p.m. Friday; Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona.

TV/radio: BSD; WXYT-FM (97.1).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings limp into NHL trade deadline, but still playoff team