Tonight the capricious Detroit Red Wings (41-25-13) take on the dreary Carolina Hurricanes (29-38-11) in an effort to take another step towards to the post-season and can clinch a spot of the Ottawa Senators lose in regulation. While this game is considered a lock by many, these past few months have demonstrated what makes the NHL so dandy- no game is a sure thing.
Courtesy of: CBS Sports
Reviewing the Red Wings’ results since the beginning of March, it is easy to see why fans alike are frustrated with the team’s play. With losses to Columbus, Philadelphia, Florida, Arizona, and San Jose, it appears that the Red Wings have a tendency to lose to the teams they are fully expected to dominate. So with these results the question is: how can the Red Wings succeed against the best in the NHL in the playoffs when they have proven they cannot beat the worst?
The Red Wings remaining schedule consists of two games against the Hurricanes with one against the Montreal Canadiens sandwiched in between. Obviously, given the choice, the two most winnable (but not considered locked) games would be the ones against Carolina. As it stands now, potential first-round opponents for Detroit are the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Against Montreal this year they have only been able to squeak out one point in three games. Their play against Tampa Bay has been inconsistent this year with one shutout win and two losses all with more than a 2-goal differential in addition to a shootout loss. Playing their best game, the Red Wings can beat anyone, including the Canadiens and the Lightning. But they still face the same issues that have plagued them since the beginning of March: injuries, inconsistent goaltending, lack of scoring, and problems on the penalty kill. While injuries are out of the team’s hands and cannot be helped, the remaining three areas of concern need to be addressed in order to draw out a long playoff run and there is no time like the present.
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