DETROIT -- Even coach Mike Babcock is pleasantly surprised at the Red Wings' success so far.
At 28 games into the season, the Wings are tied for second in the league with 39 points (Anaheim has 41 in 29 games) and are second in the Atlantic Division to Tampa Bay.
The Lightning have the same number of points but have one more win in regulation.
Babcock was asked whether he has a better team than he thought he would have before the season started.
"100 percent," Babcock said. "I still think we have lots of growth and potential in this group. That's our job is to turn these young kids into good pros. That's what we're trying to do. It's important that (Tomas) Tatar becomes a good pro, (Gustav) Nyquist becomes a good pro, (Luke) Glendening becomes a good pro the same with (Brendan) Smith and (Danny) DeKeyser."
Babcock said veteran goaltender Jimmy Howard helped the Wings early on when they were still finding their way.
"If you go back to his first five games his save percentage was through the roof," Babcock said. "Those first five games we weren't confident and going yet and we needed him even more so I think that's really important."
Howard is currently eighth in the league in goals-against average at 2.21 and eighth in wins with 13.
"(I) Just feel healthy, that's the biggest thing," Howard said. "I put in the work in the summertime. It (health) gives you the confidence to go out there and do your job."
Howard said before the season, he believed the Wings had the potential to be good.
"Just seeing what we went through last year and how we still competed," Howard said. "We were able to scratch and claw our way into the playoffs, so we felt if we had everyone healthy and we all pulling in the same direction that we could get off to a start like this."
Babcock said good teams expect to win, prepare to win, play hard and eventually do win. It becomes an attitude that everyone adopts.
"I think it's not just younger, it's the veterans as well," Babcock said. "They've been here through the good times and the slower times and now they see our team on the climb again. This is the best team we've had here since '09. Not necessarily point-wise, but direction-wise. We have more players that are hungry and going in the right direction than we have in a long time."
