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— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 1, 2024
Detroit has faced a downward spiral that has not pushed them as far out of contention as many (if not most) fans and pundits had thought it would. We talked about the reality of Philly and Washington swapping places as Detroit hits the final 8. The team sits 2 points back of the final wild card with a game in hand. The Isles are 3 points behind Detroit.
This is certainly the closest the team has been to the post season in the “rebuild era”. Unfortunately, the players just don’t seem to be able to put together 3 periods of strong play. Turnovers, puck mishandling on open net attempts, good players being sick and a fan base that has lost patience. More than 2 decades of playoff entries carried a price tag that essentially called for the exodus of almost an entire roster.
So, as Detroit faces off against the recent 2x cup champs tonight after facing last year’s cup finalist the divisional difficulties become clear. Creating a team in the midst of a division with very high expectations and some serious contenders. The Bruins started the season looking untouchable. Then the Panthers rose up with the Maple Leafs having to hand out raises to Matthews and Nylander the “core of four” may be in its twilight.
Being 2 points out somehow seems to be more stressful than the falloff last year. It may just be personal perception, but close feels a lot worse than “never had a chance”. Go back to the 1996 Olympics. The gold medal match (heavyweight, freestyle) had a future WWE (WWF) star against a massive world renowned Iranian who was tapped to win that one. Kurt Angle (yes, with a broken neck) won the match by decision. The silver medal felt like a disgrace to his opponent.
Clear steps forward over the past season, with a step back on goals against. The defensive coverage and goaltending just haven’t been at the consistency needed to make the extra goals throughout the season be enough for a better standing. Tonight is one of the last chances for Detroit to show if there is anything left in the tank to push forward.
Let me know your thoughts. Does the team sitting just outside the bubble somehow feel worse than being well outside of it? How many prospects do you think have played their way into a potential spot next season? Grand Rapids will have a chance for post season play. It was in that setting that Bertuzzi seemed to come to life. Same organization, two very different feelings right now.
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