Wings reach 30 wins in just 41 games
Last night, the Detroit Red Wings faced the Dallas Stars in a game featuring the two top teams in the Western Conference. How did it end? With Detroit dominating once again in a 4-1 win over Dallas.
As I was sitting in the press box watching the final minute of the game come to a close as the Joe Louis crowd started chanting “Ozzie, Ozzie”, I realized how truly blessed I am to (1) be a fan of this great organization and (2) actually be an intern and able to see firsthand the impressive play of this talented squad. I figured we would be good this season. Our roster wasn’t significantly weaker than it was in our WCF loss to Anaheim. But this team has gone even beyond what I had predicted and it’s a joy to watch.
Jes Golbez at AOL FanHouse reminds us of the dominating force that is the Detroit Red Wings team.
People keep waiting for the Red Wings to slip and have an off-year, but it never seems to happen. The Wings just continue to get stronger, utilize smart free agent signings, and rule just about every facet of the game. Just look at how the Wings dominate.
Goals For - 145 (1st)
Goals Against - 89 (1st)
Power Play - 23.4% (2nd)
Penalty Kill - 86.2% (3rd)
Face-offs - 54.4% (1st)
Save Percentage - 91.0% (11th)So, apart from Dominik Hasek’s extremely shaky goaltending and shredded groin, the Wings are near the top of the league in every category that matters. Give credit to coach Mike Babcock for getting the most out of his roster, which has been dominating the Western Conference, and could sleepwalk to a President’s Trophy at this point.
And while this team did reach 30 wins before the 1995-1996 squad (which won a record total 62 games), this season’s squad did have the benefit of four shootout victories as pointed out by Bruce MacLeod.
He also mentioned a stat that I like seeing a rise in this season.
I like the way the Wings are answering the call. Dallas Drake fighting Steve Ott after the Star leveled Nicklas Lidstrom was perfect. With Drake and Aaron Downey, the Wings have a different element than in a long time. Detroit has 15 fights at the halfway point in the season. That puts the Wings on pace for their most fighting majors since 1997-98.
While I won’t say Downey is a fan favorite compared to the likes of Lidstrom or Zetterberg, I do think he is becoming a crowd favorite with his physical play. Plus, he finally got his first point with Detroit with an assist on Johan Franzen’s goal last night.
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