Red Wings open season with big challenges
The Red Wings prospects have a lot to prove, and the season starts with a tough stretch. The first six games will all be against teams who made the postseason last year. Two of those teams were in the Stanley Cup finals, and have similar aspirations again.
In October, the team will play a grueling 12 games in 22 days, including a road trip to California. Weak starts have plagued Detroit’s rebuild, and have undone strong second half performances. This year’s team has to be better, and has to be ready to reverse those trends.
The Atlantic Division may be the best in the NHL
The Red Wings are desperate for the post season, however the Atlantic Division is a formidable foe. Five of eight teams made the playoffs, and none will be easily eliminated. Detroit will face Toronto, Montreal, Florida and Tampa Bay in the first six contests. Edmonton, last year’s Western Conference champs, are in the mix for good measure.
Those opening games are critical, and will affect the seasons of multiple young players. It is a small, albeit crucial window for players like Emmitt Finnie to show they belong in the NHL. Failure to do so could see Finnie and fellow rookie MBN possibly heading down to the AHL.
Avoiding a 10 year playoff drought won’t be easy
The Red Wings failed to make the post season for a ninth straight year, and changes seemed necessary. Young players are getting opportunities, whereas veterans are being placed on notice. Everyone has to be better, indeed much better for this team to succeed.
Most pundits have Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay as locks to make the post season. That leaves four teams battling for the wild card spots. Only Boston seems to be headed for a significant rebuild, while everyone else is anxious for success. Montreal and Ottawa both remain powerful adversaries for Detroit. Buffalo’s own 15 year drought is motivation for the Sabres to break out and change the story.
A slow start in any division is a problem, however in the Atlantic it can be impossible to overcome. Detroit will have to flip the script and win in order to make the next major step. Avoiding a 10th straight miss is difficult, however crucial for this team to advance.
