2012 Detroit Red Wings Will Ride Home-Ice Advantage to the Stanley Cup

The Detroit Red Wings have the best fanbase in the NHL, and they will play a huge role in helping the Wings win yet another Stanley Cup in 2012.

They say that every good thing must come to an end, so don't fret too much about the Wings home winning streak finally being snapped.

The very fact that we are talking about a hockey team that won 23 games in a row at home is what should be the focus, not the fact that the streak was ended.

Every streak ends—it's just the nature of the beast.

The Wings played exceptional hockey through those 23 games, and yes it's a testament to how good they are, but it's it also goes a long way in showing how great their fanbase is.

I was able to talk with Red Wings defenseman Mike Commodore at a charity poker event put on by the team, and he stressed how big of an advantage the crowd gave them:

"

Obviously this is one of the better places in the league to play. The building's always full, everybody's charged up, everybody knows hockey and they're used to winning here. Every home team has an advantage, but I think here it's one of the more upper echelon ones.

"

I have no doubt that the fans at the Joe Louis Arena played a huge role in the 23-game winning streak, and the home-ice advantage is going to be huge for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.

The bar is set high in Detroit as far as hockey is concerned. The Wings are expected to be in competition for the Stanley Cup every single year.

No exceptions, and definitely no excuses.

It's that standard that really makes things special in "Hockey Town," and I can only imagine that it drives the team to live up to them.

The fans lift the team up, and the team returns the favor. That couldn't have been more evident than at the Poker event, where fans were literally able to hang out with and play Poker with some of their favorite Red Wings.

The players took time to meet with fans, sign autographs and all-in-all have a good night giving back to the group of people who bring so much to them on the ice—and of course giving to a good cause.

It's this type of camaraderie and community that really makes Red Wings hockey special. There's a reason they call Detroit "Hockey Town."

All the winning certainly helps, but it's the fanbase and love for the game that really sets Detroit apart.

It's home-ice advantage at it's best, and the Red Wings are going to capitalize on that moving forward with the rest of this season. Come playoff time, nobody is want to go play at the Joe, and that's going to make them a very dangerous team.

Don't be surprised when the Wings are once again lifting the Stanley Cup in front of their adoring fans.