It seems a little strange to look at the standings, albeit very early in the season, and see the Detroit Red Wings lurking near the bottom of the Western Conference.
Equally strange is the belief that the Wings will remain there.
It's early days, but already I am hearing some suggest the Wings are too old, have lost too much scoring and don't have the goaltending to continue to be the powerhouse we have grown accustomed to seeing dominate in the West. All good things come to an end, but with Ken Holland running the show and Mike Babcock directing the troops, I am not prepared, at this junction, to throw in the towel. Neither man has ever given any indication of becoming complacent.
The Red Wings have been the NHL's model franchise for a little more than a decade; a team that others look to for guidance and inspiration. The Anaheim Ducks may have bullied their way to a Stanley Cup title, but for the most part it has been the speedy and disciplined Red Wings that have been the league's most influential team.
And suddenly because they drop a pair of games to the St. Louis Blues, games that could have gone either way, they are done?
Somehow I don't think a team that has Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg as its marquee forwards is in dire straits. They are two of the best forwards in the NHL. Nor do I think a team that has Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalsi on its blueline is in peril. Lidstrom has lost a step, but he remains one of the smartest and most effective players in the league. And say whatever you want about Chris Osgood not being among the best goalies in the NHL, this guy has three Stanley Cup rings to go with two William Jennings Trophies. The Red Wings certainly didn't lose in the final to Pittsburgh last season because of goaltending.
There's no question the Red Wings will miss Marian Hossa and Jiri Hudler's production this season, but if Jason Williams and Todd Bertuzzi play to their potential, it will help ease the pain. Johan Franzen, Dan Cleary and Tomas Holmstrom provide the Red Wings with some of the best depth in the league while youngsters Ville Leino and Jonathan Ericsson are poised to make more significant contributions this season.
Somehow I don't see this team engaging in a freefall.
If you watched Detroit defeat the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, then you know what I am talking about. The Red Wings were efficient in overcoming an early deficit and then hanging on to win despite allowing a late goal. Not pretty, but effective.
The one thing Babcock is going to have to do this season is make sure his stars get significant down time. The coach tends to be a pedal-to-the metal kind of guy, but this being an Olympic year with a condensed schedule, it is imperative his best players are rested. Any coach that has players going to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics had better buy into this concept or they will pay a huge price in April and May.
At the end of the day the Red Wings may not make it back to the Stanley Cup final, but it's a little too early to suggest bad days lie ahead. Way too early.
QUINN VS. IGGY
Coaches are funny. When their player gets hurt, they seem to lose all objectivity when it comes to discussing the incident that led to the injury. Last night it was Quinn's turn to over-react after his defenceman, Sheldon Souray, was hurt after being knocked into the boards by Calgary's Jarome Iginla. You will never be able to convince me Iginla purposely took the legs out from Souray who crashed heavily into the boards after the pair chased down a puck. Quinn insinuated Iginla did it on purposed and then suggested in his day (he played in the NHL for nine years between 1968 and 1977) Iginla would have been dealt with by somebody cracking him over the head with a stick. I understand Quinn is upset, but his reaction was silly. Emotion got the better of him.
THE HEAT IS ON
It took a while for him to get going, but Dany Heatley has kicked it into gear and appears to be well on his way to a 60-goal season. If Heatley and Joe Thornton work the magic they are capable of making, they could finish 1-2 in league scoring. Of course all that really matters is how they perform in the playoffs, but in the meantime, it'll be fun watching this special pair.
