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To say the Detroit Red Wings are having a pretty good year this season would be selling them short, to say the least. With a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks, Detroit clinched a NHL multi-season record setting twenty three straight home wins. The team, which is currently sitting on top of the entire league with 84 points, broke the single season record with a win last week and then passed the former record of twenty two wins in two seasons set by the Boston Bruins more than eighty years ago.
Joey MacDonald, between the pipes for the injured Jimmy Howard made thirty one saves and got his sixth straight win. Howard, out with a broken finger on his right hand, is expected back in the line up on Tuesday when the Wings face divisional rival, Chicago Blackhawks. The team will be back on the ice at Joe Louis arena on Thursday to face the Vancouver Canucks.
The win snapped the Wings five game losing streak vs. the Sharks during the regular season. The Sharks have polished the Wings off in the second round of the playoffs, two years in a row. Antii Niemi, in goal for the Sharks made twenty five saves. Henrik Zetterberg kicked off the scoring for the Red Wings, followed by goals by Drew Miller and Darren Helm.
The Sharks, meanwhile, have been struggling on the road, dropping three in a row, five games into a nine game road trip.
The NHL trade deadline is coming up, set for February 27. With a number of teams vying for some pretty big names, there are a few that are probably not going to make many moves, if they make any at all. The rumor mill had suggested that the Detroit Red Wings were wooing Pavel Kubina, the thirty four year old defense man from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kubina played ten years over two separate stints with the Lightning and had to waive a partial no trade clause. He had been asked to submit a list of teams he would be willing to be traded to but had not completed his list when the deal with the Philadelphia Flyers was finalized on Saturday. The Flyers gave up two draft picks in that trade. With the end of that trade, it is likely that the Wings will not make any major moves at all. With eighty four points and their home winning streak going, there are no areas that they really need to work on, and thankfully, the management team knows that.
I have a friend who complains that the Wings "pay" for their talent- untrue. Zetterberg went for a super high number in the draft, rode it out in the Swedish leagues for development and then when he was ready- blammo, Zetts takes the center stage. Same with other players. They don't rush them into the lineup. They have the depth and the talent to let them blossom naturally. This same friend pins his hopes every year on the travesty that is Columbus. Sixth highest salary cap in the league and where are they in the standings? Even Rick Nash is looking to jump ship on that one.
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As an avid hockey fan, still hurt from the 1998 sweep of the Washington Capitals (I was at game four and witnessed this beating live), I have to say that I am coming around to understanding the dynasty that are the Detroit Red Wings. It's difficult for me to see them always doing so awesome and see my beloved Caps struggling this year. After the Caps got off to a strong 7 -0 start, it's hard to imagine seeing them struggle. That being said, my hat's off to Mike Babcock and the Red Wings organ-I-zation (as the Canadians pronounce it).
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