Wings Bounce Back

Now that’s more like it.

After a shaky, or at least shaky start by Detroit Red Wings standard (if we were the Toronto Maple Leafs a 2-3 record would be cause for a parade down Yonge St. ), the Red Wings beat a good young Los Angeles Kings teams  5-2 last night.  Eight months ago a victory over the Kings would have not meant much to Red Wings fans, but this game should give us all a sigh of relief that things are not as bad as some people may have made it out to be.   The Wings will still make the playoffs and I would say with 95% certainty that they will have home ice in the first round.  Now the division is no longer going to be a fore gone conclusion like it has been for the last couple years.  Our margin of error is gone.  As everyone knows the Blues, Blue Jackets, and Black Hawks (yes, I prefer the old classic spelling) are all much better than they were five years ago.  But the biggest difference for the Red Wings is the salary cap has finally caught up with this team and while Ken Holland as done a great job to field the team that he has, it will never be 2002 again.

The Wings and Hawks will battle for the division for much of the season, and that is not necessary a bad thing.  Remember those years when the Wings got knocked out in the first round?  Well, what the Wings showed then was that sometimes it is hard to turn it on after not playing a meaningful game in two months.  This year the Central will most likely not be decided until March.  That could be good for a Red Wings team that is going to need to play as many meaningful games as possible to gel as a team.

I still feel that the Wings will be division champs this year, but it will be close.  I like this team even if the goaltending scares the living day lights out of me.  A close division race is not all bad.  It means that we will be playing more meaningful games this year, which makes the hockey more exciting.  It may also draw in more fans for the whole season if the Wings are playing for something.  There are a number of Red Wings fans right now who just watch the playoffs because after Christmas the Red Wings are rarely playing for anything.  So don’t dust off that giant red panic button from the 1970’s and 80’s just yet and enjoy a season where it looks like every game is going to mean something.