Can the Detroit Red Wings Win the Central?
Last year, the Detroit Red Wings saw their stronghold on the Central Division broken by the young and exciting Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings were slow to start out the season, but managed to get their game together in the final third to finish fifth in the West, and second in their division.
Chicago has now had to undergo a bit of surgery at the hands of the salary cap, and many wonder if the Red Wings are able to get back to the top of the division.
The Central
Containing the Red Wings, Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Nashville Predators, the Central is believed by many to be the toughest division in the National Hockey League. This high level of competition makes it difficult for any team to get a hold on the title. Nevertheless, the Red Wings had made it their business, winning the division nine years in a row prior to last season.
The Central has always been good, but it has gotten even better over the past three years. In the last campaign, three teams qualified for the playoffs, the year previous three again, and before that four.
Last year, Chicago won, Detroit finished second, with Nashville third, followed by St. Louis and rounded out by Columbus.
The only team that has lost enough players to be considered worse off is the Blackhawks. Every other squad, including Detroit, seems to have bolstered their line-up.
Is Detroit Tired?
The Red Wings have played more hockey over the past five years than any other franchise in the NHL. They have competed hard in the regular seasons, played in every playoffs in those five seasons, and prior to last year, went to the Cup final twice in a row.
They have a number of Olympians who played the regular season, a gruelling Olympic tournament, and then two rounds of the playoffs in 2009-10.
Detroit is also the oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 30.59, something the signing of 40 year old Mike Modano does nothing to help.
With numbers like this, the franchise must be tired. They have played with advanced age, and have played more than anyone else in the league. Last year, we caught a glimpse of what a tired and under-prepared Red Wings team looks like, and it did not look good. For the first time in five years, the Wings simply looked beatable.
Can they win the Central?
Detroit still houses the talent to not only challenge for the Central division but also for the conference title.
Up front, they are a powerhouse, with names such as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Johan Franzen. Moreover, General Manager Ken Holland has once again assembled intelligent and skilled secondary players, such as Jiri Hudler, Daniel Cleary, and Tomas Holmstrom.
Perhaps more impressive is the Red Wings back end, which contains future Hall-of-Famer and perhaps the greatest European player of all time Nicklas Lidstrom. Joining Lidstrom are veterans Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall.
In net, Jimmy Howard had an outstanding first full season in the league, and will own the starting goalie spot in October.
It is clear that Detroit has not gotten any worse, and it will be a question of how much poorer the Hawks have gotten, and how much better the Blues and Predators have made themselves.
Nevertheless, the Detroit line-up continues to look like the class of the west, and it will be difficult for anyone to challenge them for the division title. Especially since the team will be more well-rested than they have been in three years.
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