Detroit Red Wings Preview

The Detroit Red Wings season is starting and they’re looking to extend their 25 straight playoff appearance streak.

Last year, they barely extended that streak by placing 3rd in the Atlantic Division with 93 points and punching their ticket for the playoffs in the final games of the season.

Some may think that this year will be tough for the Red Wings to make the playoffs due to losses in key players that have kept that playoff streak alive over the years.

One key player lost is “The Magician” Pavel Datsyuk, who left the team to play for his home country, Russia, and live with his family. “I have to go back home,” Datsyuk said.

According to the Freep.com. Datsyuk is known for his sneaky and smooth play and has been the Red Wings assistant captain for many years next to the captain Henrik Zetterberg.

Detroit Red Wings fan Brent Anderson, who is a hockey player for the Varsity Hockey Team at Milford High School, talks on the impact of Pavel Datsyuk leaving the team. “Losing Pavel will impact Detroit big time because he has the experience, but there are other players with experience that will help the younger players out”, Anderson said.

The Red Wings have lost some good experience in Datsyuk that has been around for over a decade to stabilize a dangerous offense over the years. Also, he’s led his team to 2 Stanley Cups. It could be a challenge to keep the playoff streak alive with the former assistant captain out of the lineup.

The Wings, however, have a new assistant captain, Justin Abdelkader, who has been with the Wings since the 2007-2008 season.

Justin Abdelkader has been decent throughout his career and recently has turned into an elite player these past two seasons, totaling over 40 points in both. Throughout his career he has been known for being a great grinder in the final minutes of every game and a big play maker.

Along with Abdelkader a young 20 year old player named Dylan Larkin stepped up big time last year leading the team in goals with 25 as a rookie.

Coming into his sophomore season, Larkin will look to turn his past years success into one of the leaders with Zetterberg and Abdelkader.

Will Larkin turn into a superstar player this year after a solid rookie season? Local Detroit Red Wings fan Alex Allen, a student at MHS, said,  ”He will be solid year round and he will score many goals”.

But other fans disagree with Allen, “Larkin will have another good season but I think it’s going to take a couple of years for him to become a superstar,” Anderson said.

The offense is looking to be solid but a big question this year is the defense after losing key players Niklas Kronwall to injury and Kyle Quincey to free agency.

Also, the controversy of who to start each game at goaltender with the young Petr Mrazek and veteran Jimmy Howard. Last year in the postseason it was Jimmy Howard starting the last few games of season and not Petr Mrazek. Even though, Mrazek was the starter most of last year.

On the defense issue, Detroit Red Wings fan Henry Combs, who plays hockey with Anderson, said, The speed and skill of the players like Danny Dekeyser will step up to fill Kronwall’s spot”. Dekeyser and Brendan Smith are young defensive players who have shown flashes of greatness but never really been consistent enough to really be leaders in clubhouse.

The Red Wings are looking to have another successful season with some talented youngsters to extend the 25 straight playoff appearances to 26 straight, which is the longest active streak in the NHL.

This year is going to be a tough task for a young Red Wing’s team to keep the streak alive with the departure of long veterans of the team and injuries.

But this team has shown multiple times in the past that their team is fit for the playoffs.