-- It's too early and too presumptuous to say it'll happen. These are the Stanley Cup playoffs after all, where the inexplicable reigns.
But we've seen this before, and when a long run unfolds, this is how it happens. Hard knocks and big bumps produce a healthy hunger, and next thing you know, the Red Wings have that familiar sneer.
I'm not ready to suddenly declare the Red Wings your hefty Stanley Cup favorites. I am ready to say the championship ingredients are gathering, from getting breaks to making breaks, to having a healthy, loaded roster (knock on graphite). Beating Phoenix in the first round was easy. Beating San Jose will be much, much tougher.
At some point recently ? we'll get to that in a moment ? the Red Wings woke up to the reality they were better than they'd showed. They believe they're considerably better than they showed last spring against the Sharks, when they dropped a five-game series, losing four by one goal each.
Penalties and turnovers haunted them, and still could. Injuries dogged them. More than any team in hockey, the Red Wings are defined by what they do now. In 2008, they won the Cup. In 2009, they lost to the Penguins in an excruciating Game 7. Last year, they staggered into the Sharks series after a seven-game bout with the Coyotes and never recovered.
It's the same playoff path so far ? Phoenix, then San Jose ? but the road looks more passable this time. The pounding of the Coyotes signaled something, and not just because it was the only first-round sweep. The Red Wings know you're never too old to learn from your mistakes.
"We have a sour taste from last year that's not easy to forget," forward Danny Cleary said. "It's a good time for us to get some redemption. We're ready."
Developing an attitude
After a bumpy regular season marked by spotty defense, then a knee injury to Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings have a noticeably heightened competitive edge. Zetterberg is back, and I can't ever remember seeing him this eager and animated. Johan Franzen is recovered from an ankle injury and defenseman Niklas Kronwall returned with an impressive burst after being sidelined.
San Jose used to be the team facing the difficult questions, perennial playoff chokers. I'm not sure that label completely disappeared with one series victory over Detroit, but I am sure the Sharks are supremely talented, packed with as many scoring forwards ? Ryan Clowe, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture ? as any team in the league.
"More forwards than us?" Franzen said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.
You see what I mean about a growing edge?
"They are skilled and so are we, and we're gonna have to take it to them before they take it to us," Franzen said. "We played great last round, and hopefully we can continue to forecheck and punish their defensemen. Great team, great challenge."
Should be great fun after the most amazing first round in Stanley Cup playoff history, with four teams needing Game 7s to advance. The Red Wings were the ones that, ho-hum, made it kind of dull. They rested and watched, storing energy.
A year ago, the Red Wings were just trying to survive an injury-riddled season. Once Detroit went seven games against Phoenix and immediately had to hop a plane for San Jose, it knew it was in trouble. Of the Red Wings' four most recent championships, only once were they pushed to seven games, beating the Avalanche, 7-0, in 2002.
Getting the breaks
So the grind matters, and the Red Wings have more players that can grind, and score. Thirteen Red Wings had a goal in the first round, and young Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader have made major impacts. Big Todd Bertuzzi has played as if revived. And oh, by the way, Pavel Datsyuk reminded everyone he's the best two-way player in the game.
"We're a better team than last year, we play harder," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Even though we didn't like our team a lot this winter, I think the individual growth of our players was significant. It showed in the last round and it has to show again. You get on a roll and get confidence, it's crucial."
And you have to get breaks. Remember 2002, when the Red Wings opened with two home losses to the Canucks behind a wobbly Dominik Hasek? They went on the road and Nicklas Lidstrom scored a wacky goal from center ice and everything turned.
Drawing outmanned Phoenix was a break. Watching other teams pummel each other for six and seven games was a break. Getting nine days for Zetterberg and Franzen to heal was a well-earned break. Seeing West stalwarts San Jose and Vancouver struggle was a break.
The Canucks barely survived the Blackhawks, and Roberto Luongo showed gaping cracks. The Sharks needed three overtime victories to oust the Kings, and goaltender Antti Niemi was pulled twice.
Jimmy Howard has been solid in net. Penalties are still an issue, but the Red Wings found a missing gear, and now must find another. The Sharks have beaten them seven of the past nine meetings, counting playoffs and the regular season.
Which brings us back to that wake-up call ? where and when did it happen? That 10-3 home loss to the Blues late in the season sparked a rare, angry team-lashing from Lidstrom. Then, when Detroit went to Chicago for the season finale and beat the desperate defending champs, the signs were there.
"We didn't have any doubts whatsoever we could turn it on," Howard said. "We knew when the time arrived, guys were gonna step up, and that's exactly what happened."
When severely challenged and mostly healthy, the Red Wings have a history of stomping back. It doesn't happen every spring, but it's sure looking possible now.
bob.wojnowski/detnews.com
But we've seen this before, and when a long run unfolds, this is how it happens. Hard knocks and big bumps produce a healthy hunger, and next thing you know, the Red Wings have that familiar sneer.
I'm not ready to suddenly declare the Red Wings your hefty Stanley Cup favorites. I am ready to say the championship ingredients are gathering, from getting breaks to making breaks, to having a healthy, loaded roster (knock on graphite). Beating Phoenix in the first round was easy. Beating San Jose will be much, much tougher.
At some point recently ? we'll get to that in a moment ? the Red Wings woke up to the reality they were better than they'd showed. They believe they're considerably better than they showed last spring against the Sharks, when they dropped a five-game series, losing four by one goal each.
Penalties and turnovers haunted them, and still could. Injuries dogged them. More than any team in hockey, the Red Wings are defined by what they do now. In 2008, they won the Cup. In 2009, they lost to the Penguins in an excruciating Game 7. Last year, they staggered into the Sharks series after a seven-game bout with the Coyotes and never recovered.
It's the same playoff path so far ? Phoenix, then San Jose ? but the road looks more passable this time. The pounding of the Coyotes signaled something, and not just because it was the only first-round sweep. The Red Wings know you're never too old to learn from your mistakes.
"We have a sour taste from last year that's not easy to forget," forward Danny Cleary said. "It's a good time for us to get some redemption. We're ready."
Developing an attitude
After a bumpy regular season marked by spotty defense, then a knee injury to Henrik Zetterberg, the Red Wings have a noticeably heightened competitive edge. Zetterberg is back, and I can't ever remember seeing him this eager and animated. Johan Franzen is recovered from an ankle injury and defenseman Niklas Kronwall returned with an impressive burst after being sidelined.
San Jose used to be the team facing the difficult questions, perennial playoff chokers. I'm not sure that label completely disappeared with one series victory over Detroit, but I am sure the Sharks are supremely talented, packed with as many scoring forwards ? Ryan Clowe, Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture ? as any team in the league.
"More forwards than us?" Franzen said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.
You see what I mean about a growing edge?
"They are skilled and so are we, and we're gonna have to take it to them before they take it to us," Franzen said. "We played great last round, and hopefully we can continue to forecheck and punish their defensemen. Great team, great challenge."
Should be great fun after the most amazing first round in Stanley Cup playoff history, with four teams needing Game 7s to advance. The Red Wings were the ones that, ho-hum, made it kind of dull. They rested and watched, storing energy.
A year ago, the Red Wings were just trying to survive an injury-riddled season. Once Detroit went seven games against Phoenix and immediately had to hop a plane for San Jose, it knew it was in trouble. Of the Red Wings' four most recent championships, only once were they pushed to seven games, beating the Avalanche, 7-0, in 2002.
Getting the breaks
So the grind matters, and the Red Wings have more players that can grind, and score. Thirteen Red Wings had a goal in the first round, and young Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader have made major impacts. Big Todd Bertuzzi has played as if revived. And oh, by the way, Pavel Datsyuk reminded everyone he's the best two-way player in the game.
"We're a better team than last year, we play harder," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "Even though we didn't like our team a lot this winter, I think the individual growth of our players was significant. It showed in the last round and it has to show again. You get on a roll and get confidence, it's crucial."
And you have to get breaks. Remember 2002, when the Red Wings opened with two home losses to the Canucks behind a wobbly Dominik Hasek? They went on the road and Nicklas Lidstrom scored a wacky goal from center ice and everything turned.
Drawing outmanned Phoenix was a break. Watching other teams pummel each other for six and seven games was a break. Getting nine days for Zetterberg and Franzen to heal was a well-earned break. Seeing West stalwarts San Jose and Vancouver struggle was a break.
The Canucks barely survived the Blackhawks, and Roberto Luongo showed gaping cracks. The Sharks needed three overtime victories to oust the Kings, and goaltender Antti Niemi was pulled twice.
Jimmy Howard has been solid in net. Penalties are still an issue, but the Red Wings found a missing gear, and now must find another. The Sharks have beaten them seven of the past nine meetings, counting playoffs and the regular season.
Which brings us back to that wake-up call ? where and when did it happen? That 10-3 home loss to the Blues late in the season sparked a rare, angry team-lashing from Lidstrom. Then, when Detroit went to Chicago for the season finale and beat the desperate defending champs, the signs were there.
"We didn't have any doubts whatsoever we could turn it on," Howard said. "We knew when the time arrived, guys were gonna step up, and that's exactly what happened."
When severely challenged and mostly healthy, the Red Wings have a history of stomping back. It doesn't happen every spring, but it's sure looking possible now.
bob.wojnowski/detnews.com
