Thanks For Playing: Detroit Red Wings

Last night in San Jose, the Sharks defeated the Red Wings to win their best of seven series 4 games to 1. Today we take a look back at the Detroit Red Wings season. How they got here, What went wrong, & where they go from here.

How they got here:

The Red Wings finished the season with a record of 44-24-14. Good enough for 102 points & 5th place in the Western Conference. It was the 1st time since 1991 that Detroit started a post-season series on the road.

Think about that last stat. In a post-season where just about every team makes it every couple years (except the Florida Panthers) the Red Wings started the post-season with home ice in the 1st round 17 years in a row. I'm guessing it will be a while until we see some team match that streak.

The Red Wings were on the outside of the post-season picture looking in at the Olympic break break before going 16-4-1 to finish the season. The red Wings then dispatched the Coyotes in a tough seven game series to advance to the 2nd round.

What went wrong:

Detroit's penalty kill is what ended up doing in the Red Wings this post-season. When they gave up three Power Play goals to Phoenix in Game one I thought it was just an aberration and eventually things would work out. Instead it ended up being the Achilles heel for the Red Wings.

Six of the fifteen goals the Sharks scored in the series came with the man advantage. Power Play goals in Games two & five stole the momentum from the Wings and gave it right back to the Sharks. That and the inability to win key faceoffs doomed Detroit.

It's one thing to have a bad penalty kill against a team like Phoenix, a team that you have more talent then and can use it to overcome any mistakes you make. It's another to have a bad penalty kill against a team like San Jose which is just as talented as you are and can make you pay for your mistakes. That is what ended up happening in this series and that's why the Sharks are moving on.

Where they go from here:

The Red Wings have played more hockey than any other team in the NHL during the last four seasons. For a team whose core of players are in their mid 30's it's going to catch up to you eventually. The early exit from the playoffs may actually do them some good as they have time to rest up for next season.

The Red Wings overcame one injury after another to finish strong and make the post-season. By the time this series was over they just ran out of gas.

Some good did come fro this post-season. Jimmy Howard showed that he is capable of being a playoff goalie for Detroit. It hasn't been the easiest position to fill in the past. Some have been successful (Mike Vernon, Chris Osgood, Dominik Hasek.) and some have been less than successful (Curtis Joseph, Manny Legace, Chris Osgood) The jury is still out on Howard but I feel comfortable with him in net.

Detroit has a couple nice young forwards in Darren Helm & Justin Abdelkader who I think will become regulars in the line-up next season. Helm reminds a lot of people of a young Kris Draper and has been a key player on the team the last two seasons on the 4th line and penalty kill. I look for his role to expand even more next year.

Abdelkader spent this season shuffling back & forth between Detroit & Grand Rapids. After his play this post-season I expect him to be on the roster & stick around next season.

The key to all this though will be what happens with Nicklas Lidstrom. He just turned 40 a couple weeks ago and is an unrestricted free agent after this season. I don't think he will leave to play for another team but he may leave and call it a career.

If he calls it a career the NHL will lose the closest thing to Bobby Orr that the league has seen and it will be a void on the blue line that will be hard for the Red Wings to fill.

The core of this team may be older than most but it is still very talented. If Lidstrom returns I expect them to still fight with Chicago for the top spot in the Central Division. If he doesn't return the Red Wings should still be a playoff team but it may be a while before they are considered contenders for Lord Stanley's Cup.