The Red Wings made us collectively groan at our TVs just one game into the season as they fell 5-1 to the in-your-face Canadiens. It was another brutal defensive and goaltending performance — exactly what the Red Wings had hoped to improve upon as they opened the season.

Since then, they’ve climbed to the top of the Atlantic Division with five wins in a row and a 5-1-0 record. They’ve defeated top competition like Edmonton, Florida, Tampa Bay, and Toronto (twice!). Dylan Larkin is third league-wide with 11 points in six games, Moritz Seider looks ready to lead on the back end, but most of all, this looks like a cohesive team that can find ways to win.

Could this be the final step in the Yzerplan? Could the Red Wings finally return to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons? Here are three reasons why this is the year, and three reasons why we should pump the brakes.