After extending the streak, the Red Wings can give the Bruins a tough test in first round
By Dave Waddell –
Making the playoffs for the 23rd straight season seemed mission impossible for the Detroit Red Wings when they resumed their post-Olympic schedule knowing they would be trying to do so without Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
Having beaten those odds to earn a postseason appearance, the prospect of drawing the President Cup-winning Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs hardly seems daunting now.
It’s the first time the teams have met in the playoffs since 1957.
“I think as a team we’ve gotten better over the last few weeks a lot,” Gustav Nyquist told Mlive.com. “We’ve won some pretty big games and we showed ourselves that we can turn around some games against some good teams. So as young guys, because of the leadership in this locker room, we’ve all grown as players and we have a lot of confidence coming in as a team.”
The Wings will need it against the Bruins.
Boston has been the NHL’s most consistent team all season.
The Bruins are the league’s only team not to endure a three-game losing streak. They boast Selke Trophy candidate Patrice Bergeron, Norris Trophy favorite Zdeno Chara and a potential Vezina Trophy winner in goalie Tuukka Rask.
Boston is on the bigger, more physical side and they will try to grind Detroit down in the series. It’s a formula that’s worked well for the Bruins all season. The Original Six team has only lost three games in regulation since mid-January, have the best goal-differential in the league (plus-85) and are top-10 in the penalty kill (eighth) and power play (third).
Yet the Wings have given them fits this season, even with their lineup decimated by injuries. Detroit is the only team to beat the Bruins three times this season in regulation.
After Boston wiped the ice with the Wings in their first meeting (4-1), Detroit won the next three meetings. The last two wins came without Datsyuk and Zetterberg.
Wings’ coach Mike Babcock spelled out to Detroit reporters what the Wings have to do to survive in the post-season
“It’s about playing more structured,” Babcock said. “We’ve got to make sure we get out of our zone quick and get the pucks deep and really grind it out. That’s how we win.”
If the Wings also get the kind of goaltending Jimmy Howard produced in last year’s playoffs, Detroit won’t be an easy out for the heavily-favored Bruins.
Howard, who has been inconsistent this season with his own injury battles, has played his best hockey of the year in the last month.
Mix in the unpredictable nature of the NHL’s first-round and there’s great potential for more playoff drama beginning when the series opens Friday in Boston.
Detroit doesn’t have to look far for inspiration.
It was only a year ago that the seventh-seeded Wings upended second-seeded Anaheim in the first round. Detroit then went on to scare the life out of the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks by pushing them to overtime in Game 7.
Detroit’s chances of surviving against Boston will also improve the longer the series goes.
Zetterberg, who has been skating on his own after back surgery, is scheduled to have a specialist examine his back shortly. If all is good, he’s expected to be available at some point in the series.
Top-pairing defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, who is recovering from a broken finger, might also sneak into the later stages of the series.
In the meantime, the Wings veterans will have to step up to aid the team’s young players – who are the reason Detroit made the playoffs. The Wings have used three dozen different players this season, with nine rookies making their debuts.
The veteran with the most notable playoff pedigree, Johan Franzen, needs to find his goal-scoring touch again. He’s only scored once in the past 18 games while adding six assists.
“I think it’s the Mule’s time of year,” Babcock told Mlive.com. “We need him to really dig in and get to the next level for us and just continue to shoot the puck and play with grit and determination, be on the puck.
“He’s got to be one of our best players if we’re going to have success. He knows that.
“He’s getting himself ready.”
As youthful as their line-up has become, Detroit still has loads of playoff experience on the roster.
The Wings also have the one ingredient that most troubles the Bruins – speed. Boston has had a terrible time this season with Tomas Tatar, Nyquist, Riley Sheahan, Luke Glendening and Tomas Jurco. All have grabbed starting roles and all are playing very well. Sheahan in fact ended the season scoring in each of the last three games.
More importantly, Detroit also has the other ingredient necessary to make this a competitive series. The Wings believe they can win having competed well with the league’s best this season even with a shredded line-up. Their youngsters have a pedigree of winning coming off Grand Rapids’ Calder Cup title last spring.
There’s no pressure on Detroit in this series and when talented, speedy youngsters are free to play without that burden it’s a dangerous mix.