Are the Red Wings Ridiculously Good Every Year?

[sjsharks11 0]

Sorry to all the Red Wings fans out there but it seems like every single year Detroit is up around the top of the league. It's gotten to the point where they are 7 points ahead of the next closest team, Ottawa, and 10 points ahead of the next closest Western Conference team which is Dallas, and there hasn't really been any stories, that I've seen at least, on nhl.com or tsn, or anything. Anyone else notice that?

However They still can't get it done in the playoffs though.

[Chadd 916]

In recent years the central division was flat-out terrible, but it's actually a pretty good division this year from top to bottom.

[chippa13 1844]

Before and for the first few years Yzerman was in Detroit they were the absolute laughing stock of the league. It goes in cycles with most teams.

[Cavs019 708]

I'm predicting Chicago will witness a similar turnaround soon.

[Chadd 916]

Before and for the first few years Yzerman was in Detroit they were the absolute laughing stock of the league. It goes in cycles with most teams.

They haven't finished worst than second in their division since 90-91, that's more than just an up cycle.

[Rustpot 1]

They've been excellent in the regular season for quite a few years now, always in the running for President's trophy.

It's frustrating to see them fall out of the playoffs so early, but it's due to a number of factors.

That being said, I think the mix they have now will take them further than a first-round upset. Osgood is outplaying Hasek like everyone knows he can, previously unheard of guys are producing, and Holland and Babcock are finally starting to get some beef on the fourth line to take on the more physical teams.

[PWBIII 0]

I'm predicting Chicago will witness a similar turnaround soon.

i sure hope so. give it a few season and chicago should dominate

[chippa13 1844]

Before and for the first few years Yzerman was in Detroit they were the absolute laughing stock of the league. It goes in cycles with most teams.

They haven't finished worst than second in their division since 90-91, that's more than just an up cycle.

How many years was that because the rest of the division was just terrible. They haven't always been the juggernaut falsely evidenced by their regular season records.

[Chadd 916]

Before and for the first few years Yzerman was in Detroit they were the absolute laughing stock of the league. It goes in cycles with most teams.

They haven't finished worst than second in their division since 90-91, that's more than just an up cycle.

How many years was that because the rest of the division was just terrible. They haven't always been the juggernaut falsely evidenced by their regular season records.

Most of those years they had very good out of division records as well.

Four cups and a couple more conference finals are still better than just about any other team can put on their resume during that time frame.

EDIT:

They also had some pretty good competition in their division until recently. Since you will undoubtedly argue about it, look at the actual standings.

http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/fstand90s.html

[Michael9 57]

Their scouts are very very good, you will find only two first rounnd picks on their line-up. Nik Kronwall and Dan Cleary who wasn't even selected by the team and was considered a bust before he arrived in Detroit. They also have 11 out of their 22 players that were undrafted or drafted past the 5th round in there line-up. Lots of people though that the team would crash when they lost the likes of: Yzerman, Shanahan, Hull, Fedorov, Robitaille, Hasek( came back later), Larionov, Bowaman, etc. but the team managed to keep it together.

[sjsharks11 0]

previously unheard of guys are producing,

Funny that seems to happen pretty often with them

[Rustpot 1]

previously unheard of guys are producing,

Funny that seems to happen pretty often with them

I was talking more about guys that have been in the lineup for a few years and haven't produced jack suddenly getting a fire under their asses.

[thejackal 46]

i like watching them play the most. their passing game and special teams really stand out compared to others.

[chippa13 1844]

Before and for the first few years Yzerman was in Detroit they were the absolute laughing stock of the league. It goes in cycles with most teams.

They haven't finished worst than second in their division since 90-91, that's more than just an up cycle.

How many years was that because the rest of the division was just terrible. They haven't always been the juggernaut falsely evidenced by their regular season records.

Most of those years they had very good out of division records as well.

Four cups and a couple more conference finals are still better than just about any other team can put on their resume during that time frame.

EDIT:

They also had some pretty good competition in their division until recently. Since you will undoubtedly argue about it, look at the actual standings.

http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/fstand90s.html

After '95 that division has almost always been a two horse race. :P

[Chadd 916]

After '95 that division has almost always been a two horse race. :P

And other divisions don't even have two decent teams some years. The Pacific and Southeast are prime examples.

[chippa13 1844]

After '95 that division has almost always been a two horse race. :P

And other divisions don't even have two decent teams some years. The Pacific and Southeast are prime examples.

Nah, the Southeast teams just beat up on each other. :o

[Stampeder 2]

Just look at Zetterburg, he was drafted 210th overall and he is the best player to come out of that draft year. Datsyuk was 171st. What other team has that kind of success in the draft.

[mack 44]

New Jersey. Kind of. They also sign the guys who don't get drafted, thus saving the need to "waste" a late-round pick on them.

[chippa13 1844]

New Jersey is an injury or two from dropping off a cliff.

[TheBert 0]

Their scouts are very very good, you will find only two first rounnd picks on their line-up. Nik Kronwall and Dan Cleary who wasn't even selected by the team and was considered a bust before he arrived in Detroit. They also have 11 out of their 22 players that were undrafted or drafted past the 5th round in there line-up. Lots of people though that the team would crash when they lost the likes of: Yzerman, Shanahan, Hull, Fedorov, Robitaille, Hasek( came back later), Larionov, Bowaman, etc. but the team managed to keep it together.

I'm with you. I think Detroit made a conscious move to assemble a great cast of scouts in the early 90's and it's paid off very well. This is something teams have always aspired to have, especially when a certain West Coast team is headed by the brilliant Ron "I-only-watch-practices" Delorme.

Sharks scouting/draft record ain't too shabby either.

[sjsharks11 0]

After '95 that division has almost always been a two horse race. :P

And other divisions don't even have two decent teams some years. The Pacific and Southeast are prime examples.

the pacific has had 2 playoff teams almost every year

[cxo 0]

Just like Michael9 and a few others have mentioned, they have a phenomenal front office, and Bowman was a cap on that in the mid-nineties (2002 also). That can't be overlooked when you talk about the success of a team, Holland and Nill have done their job phenomenally well. It's also true that they didn't always have the divisional competition like a lot of other teams did. The Northwest is probably the most competitive, or has been for a years now, always close, so those games and teams get a bit more of a mention.

We do have odd luck in the playoffs though. It's almost always (with few exceptions) a Stanley Cup or an early exit.

[mack 44]

New Jersey is an injury or two from dropping off a cliff.

They've only recently had this little depth the last couple of years, but any team is actually an injury or two from dropping off a cliff.

[Patrick67 1]

Yeah there are some teams that would be unbearable to watch if they lost 1 or 2 players.

e.g I wouldn't bother to watch a single caps game if Ovechkin got hurt.

[Indeed 0]

With the redwings success this season so far, does anyone think that osgood should be voted into the all-star game? He's been one of the biggest reasons for there success and he has some of the best numbers in the league.