What a season it was for Detroit as they started the year off in October rather than the condensed season last year due to the NHL Lockout. The Red Wings jumped on the ice looking to keep their streak of 23 straight playoff appearances in tact. But it wouldn't be an easy task as the list of injuries piled up mid-way through the season and Coach Babcock once again had his work cutout for him for the second straight season full of injuries.
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| Standard Babcock locked in |
It was also a season like no other with the Olympic break which helped some teams relax and recover but it also saw some players like Red Wing Captain, Henrik Zetterberg go down with a herniated disk in February forcing him to make a decision. Zetty went with getting surgery in his back which would force him out for the rest of the season. With our Captain out, Magic Man Datsyuk sitting with a knee problem, the Wings were doomed as they had 9 key starters sitting including 5 centers down! At one point we had 11 players suiting up for the Wings from our great farm system, the Grand Rapids Griffins who had won the Calder Cup last year. The Red Wing's identity of wily veterans with many years of playoff experience transformed within weeks to a team full of youth, heart, looking to earn their roster spots. And holy shit did these kids begin to AMAZE!! Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco, Sheahan, Glendening, the list goes on and these youngsters filled in quit well. Mucho-Gusto Nyquist ended the season with 28 goals, 48 total points and was the hottest goal scorer in the NHL since January 20th closing out the last few months of the season.
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| Gustav Nyquist celebrates as he scores against Carolina. |
Tatar SAUCE like a bulldog showing his grit and his amazing skill set, scoring huge goals down the stretch playing on the same line with Jurco and Sheahan most the time. Glendening's strong hitting and bruiser mentality has earned him a 3 year contract extension and is competitive as can be! These kids from Grand Rapids have not only earned they keep her with the Wings but have made us a young, fast, and hungry bunch and will be our future for many years to come.
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Sheahan, Jurco, and Tatar celebrating
“I think we just figured it out and we read off each other well,” Sheahan, the line’s center, said. “We skate a lot. All of us think the game the same; we enjoy playing in the offensive zone and when it comes to playing in the D-zone we’re pretty steady and we get the puck out as quick as we can so we can have some more time in the O-zone.” |
Since the end of the Sochi Olympics, Detroit has been playing playoff games night in and night out. Coach Mike Babcock has done a magnificent job teaching these youngsters how to play smart, with energy and togetherness as they try and claw their way into field of 16. With the addition of Grosse Pointe Native David Legwand and comeback story Darren Helm, we got a little spark. At one point we had to win 6 of 10 to get 92 points which what I thought would get us in but with colossal collapse of Toronto, 91 points got us in instead achieving our goal of 23 straight playoff appearances!!
Like last year, we had to go on streaks and win games in bulk to get in and we finished the season hot winning 6 of our last 9 including a season finale 3-0 shutout win over the struggling St. Louis Blues. With the job that our skipper did, there is NO REASON why Mike Babcock shouldn't win COACH OF THE YEAR with what he has accomplished with so little talent. He not only got a depleted Wings team into the playoff yet again, but he also coached his second straight Canadian Olympic team to a Gold Medal in Sochi!
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| Left: Steve Yzerman Right: Coach Mike Babcock |
It has been an up and down season full of injuries, constantly fighting and up hill battle to get wins and get into the playoffs. But our amazing farm system, where we breed players into young stars prevailed with a majority of credit due to Coach Babcock. With our new youth and identity, Captain's Kronwall and Datysuk, and our Olympic goaltender Jimmy Howard, we are destined once again to make some noise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will most definitely be a tough out. To Boston we go where we will battle our Original Foes in round 1. Bring on the Bruins baby!!
Until Wednesday my friends…#LGRW!!
