Detroit's Domination - Detroit Red Wings, and other hockey teams in the Central Division

Hockey Digest, Nov, 2001 by Lou Friedman

With old--and we mean old--standbys like Sergei Fedorov, and a certain new goalie, the Red Wings will once again rule the Central

LAST SEASON, THE CENTRAL Division played out pretty much according to form during the regular season. The Detroit Red Wings caught fire in the second half to finish eight points better than the St. Louis Blues. The Nashville Predators continued their slow rise toward becoming a playoff team and the Chicago Blackhawks sank further in both the standings and attendance. And the first year Columbus Blue Jackets surprised everyone by garnering 71 points, more than seven other teams and enough to tie Chicago, who only had a 75-season head start.

But while you could say Columbus and Nashville had good seasons, the other three teams finished on a bad note. (No pun intended, Blues fans.) After bumbling another coaching change, the Blackhawks finished under .500 for the fifth straight season. The Red Wings were shocked by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs, this despite winning the first two games of the series. And though the Blues made it past the San Jose Sharks (for a change) in the first round and stunningly swept the Dallas Stars in the second round, they ran out of gas and goaltending in the semifinals against the eventual champions, the Colorado Avalanche.

So in fine hockey tradition, changes were made. Nashville's and Columbus' were subtle compared to their other three divisionmates. And in a league that's been goaltender-dominated (no pun intended, Red Wings fans) over the past 10 years, that position will be the biggest determinant as to which teams will be successful and which will fail in the 2001-02 season.

It's interesting that the team that went the furthest last season made the most dramatic changes in personnel. Instead of fine-tuning, the Blues went for a semi-overhaul of their roster. Will they advance to the next level, or will the new mix of players have trouble meshing? Detroit pinpointed its biggest need, and went out and got the biggest name for that need--some goalie with the last name of Hasek.

Chicago needs nearly everything, though there are a few talented players on the squad (mostly up front). The Hawks correctly assessed that their first big need was a strong leader behind the bench who will not tolerate anything less than full effort.

Nashville's biggest need is people who can put many pucks in the net, and Columbus just needs to allow some of its younger talent to gain some experience.

Overall, all the changes should make for an entertaining season within the Central Division, if not nationwide (pun fully intended, Blue Jackets fans).

1. Detroit Red Wings

2000-2001 Record:   W     L     T     OTL    GF     GA     Pts.
                    49    20     9     4     253    202    111

WITHOUT ACTUALLY SAYING THE words, the entire Detroit organization knows that this is its last chance to be champions with this nucleus intact. Though a few changes have been made, it's fairly apparent that next season's roster will take on a new look, so management has geared up for one more try. The newest acquisitions are all over 30, which says a lot about this season--and beyond.

On the attack: Vyacheslav Kozlov and Martin Lapointe will be missed; Kozlov for his speed to open up the ice, and Lapointe for his grit, which also opened up the ice. Five players will be counted on for goals: Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, Tomas Holmstrom, and free-agent signee Luc Robitaille. Add grinder Darren McCarty and elder statesman Igor Larionov to the mix, and you have two scoring lines that can still compete with just about anybody else's. Kris Draper and Mathieu Dandenault head up the checking line nicely.

Under fire: With the new guy in net, there will be less fire under this group, should they make a mistake or two. Norris Trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom is all-world, Chris Chelios (when healthy) is still a nasty presence, Jiri Fischer is progressing nicely, and free-agent addition Fredrik Olausson will make nice a powerplay mate for Lidstrom. One possible new body, if healthy: Uwe Krupp.

Between the pipes: Dominik Hasek is the best goalie in this division--period--and one of the best in the league. That is why the Red Wings got him. And if they get some proper help up front by trading Chris Osgood, it will only strengthen Detroit's chances for the big prize. Manny Legace is a more-than-capable backup.

Behind the bench: Scott Bowman has been given a clean bill of health, and has decided to try for one more kick at the can, err, Cup. But for all the wonderful accolades he's earned in his career, there's one thing even Bowman can't pull out of his coaching repertoire: How to stop players from aging. It's reasonable to believe that this will be Bowman's last season behind the bench at the Joe.

Bottom line: With the additions of Hasek and Robitaille, Detroit has a chance to win it all. But if they don't, Red Wings fans can look forward to seeing years of rebuilding. It won't be pretty.