The Detroit Red Wings barely are hanging on in the playoff race in the Western Conference. Sitting in the eighth position, the Wings are only four points out of the sixth seed, but are only five points ahead of the 13th seed.
All of this is highly unusual for a Wings fan.
What is going on?
I will be the first to say the Detroit Red Wings have had it fairly easy the past 18 or so years. The regular season was looked upon by Wings fans as a tune-up for the playoffs. Now, our team is fighting to just make the playoffs.
Yes, this is all new to us and quite frankly, very hard on the nerves. This time of year we are normally observing other teams, either to watch their style of play in case we were to meet up in the playoffs or to pick out a player we felt the Wings could trade for to help them in the playoffs.
Instead, Wings fans now are watching other games, hoping a team ahead of them in the standings loses a game in regulation, thereby not receiving any points in the standings. Now, every point counts.Yup to ALL of the above. As Paul mentions, this is relatively new to most Wings fans. But there are those of us who remember the dark, dark "Dead Things" days of the mid-80s and hoping we don't see a return to the Bad Ol' Days. I don't think we're even remotely close to that sort of situation, but this season IS highly unusual for us fans of the Winged Wheel.
Making the playoffs is gonna be a near-run thing and getting to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final (if the Wings DO make the play-offs) is almost too much to hope for. But we are incurable optimists here at El Casa Móvil De Pennington. Hope springs eternal, and all that.
I think your boys are looking at a strong playoff run. I just can't see them as a struggling team, no matter their ranking right now. Especially as tight as the Western Conference (always) is. My Avs are a game away from 3rd or 6th on any given night, and this "point goes to the loser" abomination of a scoring system makes things crazy this time of year. Crazy, and exciting.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to agree with ya, Andy, but I've seen their lack of ability to "close" lately and THAT has me worried. The Wings have given up two goal leads in the third period on three occasions of late and lost in a shoot-out to the Hated Penguins this past Sunday... the last game I watched. Still, there's hope once they get completely healthy.
ReplyDeleteAnd your Avs continue to amaze!
Been watching them Kings and they look pretty good lately. But with the West being so tight this year, it will come down to the end for layoff positioning. I do believe San Jose and Chicago will hold the top two spots.
ReplyDeleteSan Jose and Chicago do seem like locks. Some teams can look at a deep playoff run as a success, but with San Jose's post season history, it is either Stanley Cup or failure.
ReplyDeleteThe Avs look better in their losses this year than they did in their wins last year, and that is heartening. They're not cup contenders, but they've already done me proud, and their youth is phenomenal. The boys look to have a solid future coming on.
And Petty officer: Wassup with those Kings?!? Mighty impressive this year!
Glenn: Outside of Andy's Avs, the Kings are the most unlikely of success stores in the league this year. I think they have a pretty good shot at the Cup.
ReplyDeleteAndy sez: San Jose and Chicago do seem like locks.
Agreed, on all counts. Only a catastrophic collapse will prevent both the Hawks and the Sharks from deep, deep playoff runs. Thinking about those two teams playing in the WCF ain't beyond the pale. It remains to be seen if the Sharks will make it out of the first round, tho. History sure ain't on their side.
Agree, too, about your Avs.