Detroit Red Wings: 7 Reasons Why the Wings Can Still Fly Even with 7 Players Out
So, on Friday night, right after the Red Wings lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets and you found at that not one, but two more players had gone down to injury, you might have freaked out a little bit.
Upon hearing that Tomas Holmstrom would be gone for about a month with a broken hand, your left eye might have started to twitch a little and your teeth merged together into a grinding sneer.
If after that, when you heard that Jimmy Howard was also going to be sidelined with a knee injury, you fell to the ground shaking uncontrollably and foaming at the mouth, it's okay, I understand.
After last season's unprecedented and unrelenting plague of injuries, it seemed almost impossible that anything close to that could happen two years in a row.
Nevertheless, here we are, with seven regular players out of the lineup and what was shaping up into another banner season in Motown, is turning into another disaster that could send many fans screaming for the hills.
Again, it's understandable if you're panicky right now, but don't start assuming the fetal position just yet.
Unlike last season, the Wings have a lot more going for them this year and though their losses are many and large, it is actually possible that they will win more games than they lose while trying to get healthy.
What follows are seven reasons to put the Prozac back on the shelf, stop diluting your beer with tears and watch each Red Wings' game with the reasonable expectation that they could end up two points higher in the standings at the end of it.
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I See Your Datsyuk Injury and Raise You One Healthy Henrik Zetterberg
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From the moment Pavel Datsyuk left the ice on Dec. 22 with a broken hand, Henrik Zetterberg upped his compete level.
He ended up with three points, including the game-winner, in that game, and that sparked an 11-game point streak for the Swedish superstar.
While that streak came to an end on Friday night, Hank picked it right up again the next night, assisting on Johan Franzen's overtime game-winning goal.
At the time of his injury, Datsyuk was, in my mind, Detroit's MVP.
Since then, his good pal Zetterberg has been exactly that for his team.
All-Star or no, Zetterberg is going to give the Wings a fighting chance at winning every time he's on the ice.
The One, the Only...Nick Lidstrom
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If you're were an NHL coach, and you had to suffer through a prolonged bout with adversity, you could not do much better than to have Nicklas Lidstrom on your team to help see you through it.
Setting aside the fact that no other player in the entire NHL has achieved more success more frequently than Lidstrom, he's having a Norris Trophy-worthy season for Detroit yet again this year.
Lidstrom's play, experience and leadership will continue to be assets few, if any, other teams have to use to get the better of the opposition.
In a Word, 'Mike Babcock'...Okay, That's Two Words
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It's a common misconception among some that coaching a talent-laden roster is an easy task, it isn't.
Simply putting out your best players game after game will only work for so long and, once it stops working, a reasonably successful Plan B is going to be hard to come up with.
The best coaches can squeeze greatness out of less-than-great players, even when his best players are out of the lineup.
Mike Babcock is just that kind of coach.
Just like a master chef, Babcock will find a way to make the most out of meager ingredients, in fact, he's already done it.
They Don't Call Darren Helm
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If Darren Helm simply used his speed and tenacity to kill penalties, he'd adequately prove his worth to the team.
However, this season, Helm isn't only continuing his career in Detroit as one of their best penalty-killers, he's also drawing more penalties than any other player and is learning his way around the offensive side of the NHL as well.
Helm is on pace for a career year in Detroit, and his ability to skate around any defense in the league and steadily improving offensive skills make him an increasingly dangerous weapon for the Red Wings.
The Kids Are Alright and Could Get Even Better
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Without a doubt, forwards Tomas Tatar and Jan Mursak are big parts of Detroit's future, the team just didn't expect that future to come so soon.
Since being called up to the big club, both Tatar and Mursak have potted their first career NHL goals and have played with a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm.
That positive energy, in and of itself, provides a great deal of lift to a team that can at times fall a little flat in the emotion department.
However, beyond their youthful exuberance, Tatar and Mursak have shown an intriguing combination of speed, skill and grit that should continue to make a positive contribution to Detroit's quest to win every game they play.
Make no mistake about it, these kids are gamers.
The Deep End of the Pool, the Talent Pool, That Is
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Last season, the Wings began the year significantly shallower in the talent department than they did the year before.
When that loss of depth was compounded by injury after injury, nothing but disaster followed.
This season, players like Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller and Kris Draper round out the bottom two lines in Detroit though they would likely find themselves among the top six on some other teams.
Indeed, each of these players have stepped up at different times over the past month and have helped to mitigate the damage incurred due to injuries over that same time frame.
As bad as Detroit's injury problems might be, when you've still got a four-time Stanley Cup winner playing on your fourth line, you know things aren't as bad as they could be.
Remember That Rest They Talked About Over the Summer?
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The blessing in disguise that came with the Red Wings' early playoff exit last season was an opportunity for players that had played nearly three-years of non-stop hockey a chance to rest a bit more than they'd come accustomed to.
The injuries Detroit was afflicted with last season were only made worse by the fact that, even the healthy players were fatigued and battle-worn.
By ending their season in early May, the Red Wings were supposed to be better off this season inasmuch as they'd have a healthier, more rested group of players to start the season with.
Now is the time we'll see that rest really pay off.
With so many players out, the ones who are still playing are needing to shoulder a little more of the load than they're used to.
Having the energy to do so is what will determine the ultimate success of that task.
So far, that rest is already paying dividends.
It's the reason Niklas Kronwall has returned to form.
It's why Henrik Zetterberg was able to on that 11-game point streak we talked about a few minutes ago.
And, it's why veterans like Kris Draper have been able to find the back of the net four times in 11 games.
Yes, the injuries Detroit is facing are tough to take, and they make winning that much tougher.
However, this isn't last season and there's no reason to think the Wings are headed for disaster.
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