Better Know a Contender?

In an economy where nothing seems to be stable, there are certain enduring institutions that we all rely upon that comfort us in times of crises.  Whether it is cheap cheeseburgers at Wendy's, dollar drafts at the local pub, bigotry toward homosexuals, and scalped playoff tickets in Hockeytown, USA, these fixtures keep our minds focused and at ease as we all, in a way, psychologically stake our own fortunes to their continued presence. 

When these institutions dissolve, well, you get Detroit as the result.

So what the fuck happened?  The Red Wings have arguably been the most dominant franchise in sports, perhaps with the exception of the New York Yankees.  Since 2000, the Red Wings have finished either in second, or at the top of the Western Conference (5 first place finishes, 3 second place finishes). In fact, the last time the Wings finished outside of the top 4 was1991, when they finished 6th.  The last time they missed the playoffs? 1990.  The next time... 2010?

Detroit has always used their veteran leadership and savvy to dominate the Western Conference.  Their composure and patience have always been the source of their success.  They were at the top of the mountain, and everyone knew it, especially they themselves.  This colored just about every matchup.  The lesser teams would feel the need to jump on the Wingers, pin them down early, wear out the older club.  It would never work, largely in part to the Wings wait-and-see approach: weather the initial storm, find the holes in the other teams game, and then exploit them.  Every other teams was playing checkers, while the Wings, well, were playing hockey.

But the situation has taken a dramatic turn for the Wings this season.  Riddled with injuries (Franzen and Kronwall), massive offseason losses (Hossa and Hudler), and an aging unit (anyone seen Chelios?), Detroit has not been able to keep up in the Western Conference, leaving them on the outside looking in (at the moment).  Other teams like the Blackhawks and Kings have become younger and skilled, while other teams such as the Sharks and Canucks have seemed to co-opt the Wings veteran approach to the game.  Caught between these two shifting forces, the Wings it seems have been forced out of the picture.

For the first time in a long time, the Red Wings seemed to be out of control, stuck between the past and present and unsure on how to proceed.  The perfect metaphor for this situation is the Wings goaltending depth.  First, you have the old guard, sure-footed, 3-time Stanley Cup champion, Chris Osgood.  Then, you have the new wave, steady but unproven rookie, Jimmy Howard.  Was the decision by Babcock a panic move to Osgood's early season struggles, or is it merely a reaction to the Wings obvious need to get younger?

The Red Wings are the perfect representation for America at this very moment.  Baby boomers are moving on, and they're all waiting for the youth to step up and take the wheel for the rest of the trip.  All the while the roads are crumbling amidst the pressures of a financial crisis, while our enemies are getting more hostile and more successful all along.  Can we re-tool and maintain our dominance?  Or is this it?  The guys at the Ford factory would really like to know.

Players to watch:

Pavel Datsyuk - Easily one of the best players in the game, Dastyuk is actually mired in a slump of sorts.  No doubt affected by the Wings offseason losses, Datsyuk is well of the pace of pulling down another 80 points this season (as he has done the last four seasons).  If he isn't finding the back of the net, or the open man, then the Wings may be watching the first-round of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years.

Todd Bertuzzi - Best known for being a colossal prick of criminal proportions, Bertuzzi has been thrust into the spotlights in Detroit.  Far removed from his glory days as a Canuck, the Wings will need Bertuzzi to start scoring if they have a prayer this season.  The chump hasn't scored a goal in 15 games, and if this continues, then well, Bertuzzi will get exactly what has been coming to him for a while now.

Jimmy Howard - The new goalie on the block, only time will tell how successful this rookie can be for the Red Wings.  Currently sporting an impressive .923 save percentage, Howard has been a suprise but has also been very inconsistent lately, which is not helping the Wings chances.  Is the length of the season finally getting to the young netminder?  Or is he just not that good?  And what does Chris Osgood think about the situation?