Six Wins Short
The Red Wings finished six wins from the ultimate goal. Detroit’s season came to an end last night after losing to the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Detroit was in a great position coming off a Game 3 win but the Ducks came out with three straight wins to claim the series 4 games to 2. They will play the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup.
This was a season of transition for the Red Wings. The two most popular players on the team departed, with Steve Yzerman retiring to join the front office and Brendan Shanahan signing with the New York Rangers. There were legitimate questions about whether the team would even make the playoffs. To the organization’s credit they responded by winning the top seed in the Western Conference and advancing to the Western Conference Finals against the Ducks. It was the first second time the team advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since the 2001-02 season.
Anaheim clearly deserved to win the series but as a Red Wings fan I have to say that I wasn’t concerned about Detroit’s ability to compete with the Ducks. That wasn’t the case in previous playoff losses to Anaheim following the 2002-03 season, Calgary following the 2003-04 season, or Edmonton last year. So suffice it to say I think Mike Babcock deserves a lot of credit for how the team performed both during the regular season and in the playoffs. I can honestly say there isn’t a coach in the NHL I’d rather have than Mike Babcock.
So while the end to this playoff run is disappointing I think there is reason to believe the team is headed in the right direction as an organization. While a deep run in the playoffs doesn’t guarantee you’ll even make the playoffs the following season, this organization has shown an ability to adapt as the game has changed. If they could navigate cutting their payroll in half after the lockout and still win the President’s Trophy then I’m not sure there is a bigger challenge that would knock the organization off track.
Several key contributors will be back next season. The three forwards on the top line are all signed as is top defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The two biggest issues for the team to address this offseason are their defensive pairings and who will be the team’s goaltender. Both Danny Markov and Mathieu Schneider are slated to become free agents on July 1. Dominik Hasek hasn’t commented on his interest in coming back next season. Markov seems to fit in with Mike Babcock’s style of play so I think there is a decent chance he signs a new deal. He complements Lidstrom quite well and would settle the top pairing for next season.
Mathieu Schneider and Dominik Hasek’s decisions will be very interesting. Schneider will undoubtedly receive considerable interest as a free agent given his ability to play quarterback on the power play. With Dominik Hasek the goaltender simply needs to decide if he wants to play next season. If he does I think the chances are good he stays in Detroit. The Red Wings have a very good goalie prospect in Jimmy Howard but he might benefit from one final season in Grand Rapids before vying for the top spot in Detroit. If that is the case and Hasek decides he wants to give it one more go that would likely be an idea situation for the team.
There were some pleasant surprises this season. Dan Cleary vied with Henrik Zetterberg for the goals scored lead early in the season. While his offensive production dropped off as the season progressed he played his best hockey during the playoffs. He was highly effective in the series against Calgary and seems to have found his calling as a banger/checking forward with some offensive touch. He has thrived under Mike Babcock and the coach’s style of play.
Johan Franzen also had a solid season. The big forward plays the “greasy” type of game Babcock wants from his players. Franzen doesn’t have the speed that Cleary has but he is good along the boards, can forecheck very effectively, and has a nice shot. His goal in overtime closed out the first round series against Calgary.
His giveaway that resulted in the game-winning goal in Game 6 notwithstanding, Andreas Lilja had a very good playoff run. He likely worked his way into the top 6 as far as defensive pairings go. He isn’t very mobile but he seemed to finally figure out how to use his size effectively, particularly along the boards. He should be a good d-man against teams that want to try and cycle the puck.
As far as both deadline acquistions are concerned, it’s tough to say they really made an impact for the Wings. Kyle Calder got off to a great start at the tail end of the regular season. I thought he played well enough that the Red Wings might look to sign him to a new contract. But then his production nosedived during the playoffs. There were rumors that he has a broken hand. If he wasn’t injured then that doesn’t bode well for him returning next season.
Todd Bertuzzi was a gamble given how little he played this year, and while he showed flashes of his game coming back to him it never fully materialized. Like Calder there isn’t anything from his play that makes you think he is a guaranteed lock to come back next season. But both players might have had extenuating circumstances and if they meshed well with the team they could be brought back. I trust the organization to make the right call on both players.
The biggest concern going forward with the Red Wings is the defense and who will play goal next year. If Detroit can fill those slots with solid players they will be in good shape for next season. If they end up going with a youth movement and Kyle Quincey, Jakub Kindl and Jimmy Howard all get significant ice time it will likely signal the Red Wings are going to struggle a little bit while those players develop. My guess is that Detroit will bring in at least one free agent defenseman and will either go with Hasek - if he wants to play - or will sign a free agent goaltender. Forward is less of a concern for this team right now.
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I agree with you about Babcock.
One thing though; The Wings lost to Calgary in 2004 in the second round. They beat Nashville in the first round (I think), so it’s not accurate to say that this is the first time the team has advanced past the first round since the Cup run.
[…] Dave @ Gorilla Crouch: This was a season of transition for the Red Wings. The two most popular players on the team departed, with Steve Yzerman retiring to join the front office and Brendan Shanahan signing with the New York Rangers. There were legitimate questions about whether the team would even make the playoffs. To the organization’s credit they responded by winning the top seed in the Western Conference and advancing to the Western Conference Finals against the Ducks. It was the first time the team advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since the 2001-02 season. […]
Ian,
You are absolutely correct. I was a little groggy this morning and that obvious fact slipped my grasp.
[…] Going back to that series last year against Anaheim, here’s what I said about head coach Mike Babcock after the series ended. …I wasn’t concerned about Detroit’s ability to compete with the Ducks. That wasn’t the case in previous playoff losses to Anaheim following the 2002-03 season, Calgary following the 2003-04 season, or Edmonton last year. So suffice it to say I think Mike Babcock deserves a lot of credit for how the team performed both during the regular season and in the playoffs. I can honestly say there isn’t a coach in the NHL I’d rather have than Mike Babcock. […]