Detroit Red Wings Need to Find Their Game Before Playoffs

The Detroit Red Wings are getting healthy, but not fast enough and not healthy enough.

Beset with injuries since the first week of February, a season of great achievement and record-setting potential has now been put into question. A stellar home record and miserable road performance makes us all ask: Who are the real Detroit Red Wings?

As players return to the lineup, we are beginning to see flashes of the team that was cutting through the rest of the league like a big, red, hot knife through butter. The precision passing and puck possession—trademarks of Detroit—have been seen with more frequency lately. Though the consistency is lacking, this period before the playoffs will serve almost as a training camp.

Detroit fell to doormat Columbus, and emergency backup goalie Allen York 4-2 Wednesday night. With an opportunity to put some points between themselves and fifth place Nashville, the Red Wings put another sub-par performance on road ice. The loss drops Detroit to 16-21-3 away from home this year.

The game in hand the team had is now gone with crucial points left begging.

The two teams met 48 hours earlier in Motown with a much different, more lopsided result. A 7-2 Red Wings stomping seemed more indicative of the Wings we expect to see every night. Wednesday's team returned two key players back to the lineup, but Detroit looked listless and indifferent for the better part of the opening 30 minutes.

Johan Franzen was back after missing the previous four games with back spasms. Franzen, the team's leading goal scorer was ineffective his first game back, logging 15 minutes on 25 shifts. He'll need a couple games to get up to speed, but it was great to see him back on the ice.

Also returning after missing 13 games with a broken wrist was defenseman Johnathon Ericsson. The hulking defenseman logged 16 minutes over 26 shifts and wasn't a factor on any goals, for or against. Ericsson gives coach Mike Babcock some options on the blueline, as well as depth and playoff experience.

With four of the final five games at home, including Saturday's showdown with Nashville, the Wings can focus on restoring some of the chemistry and cohesion that made them Stanley Cup favorites up til the All Star break.

With Darren Helm's knee and Jimmy Howard's groin the only significant injuries left to heal, the Wings are almost back to full strength.

Optimism leads us to believe that the goal explosion Monday are the real Detroit Red Wings.

Lots of offensive pressure, good back checking, precise passing, relentless shooting and solid goaltending. The past 72 hours have shown us how good the Wings can be, then how frustratingly bad they can be.

Five games will give this year's team more opportunities to remember that they can be this good. Those five games are also against playoff teams who will be measuring themselves against the Wings as well.

Starting with potential first-round playoff opponent Nashville on Saturday, Detroit will need to put their best face forward to build momentum as they start another run for the Stanley Cup.