Red Wings on Run Since Olympics, Stanley Cup Hopes Back in Hockeytown

After the end of the first half of this season, most people questioned whether Detroit would falter from the 10th and ninth seeds and run themselves out of the playoff picture.

All those people had reasons to think that. The team wasn't scoring, Pavel Datsyuk and Nicklas Lidstorm were having horrible seasons, they had questionable goaltending, the team's age, the fact they have no young superstars, and all the injuries. 

Well, since the second half began, Detroit has been one of the better teams in the NHL, and one of the best since the Olympic break.

The Wings have gone 14-2-1 since the Olympic break. Many thought the Olympics would further hurt the Wings going down the stretch, but early losses to team Sweden and Russia allowed the core of Zetterberg, Kronwall, Lidstrom, Franzen, and Datsyuk to get about five days of rest before returning back to the Wings.

Since the new year, Lidstorm has been one of the elite defensemen again, scoring 25 points in his past 35 games. He was on pace before the new year to only score 35 points and have his worst offensive year, now he's on pace to score over 50 points. He also ranks 10th in minutes, which is remarkable when you realize he's 39.

His second half performance, combined with the downfall of Duncan Keith, could put Lidstrom's name back in discussion as a Norris finalists along with players like Mike Green and Drew Doughty.

Pavel Datsyuk has certainly hit another gear, especially since the return of Johan Franzen, and the duo, along with Tomas Holmstrom, has been exceptionally great for the team, along with Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk has been a point per game player, with 14 goals and 35 points in just as many games.

Niklas Kronwall had a bit of a mishap with an injury back in November from a knee-on-knee hit at the hands of George Laraque while Kronwall was far away from the play. He has been finding his game again—the one that saw him as an elite first pass defenseman last year—which spells danger for the top four teams in the West.

Since Detroit has been climbing the Western Conference ladder, San Jose and Chicago can exhale as it'll be an unlikely possibility that they face the Wings in the first round. Meanwhile, teams like Vancouver and Phoenix are gritting their teeth.

This isn't the same team that we saw before the Olympic break. They're showing they can win games in scoring battles—tying at the buzzer and winning in overtime, or grinding it out for a 1-0 win in a shootout.

The biggest factor that makes this team is so dangerous is the man in net, Jimmy Howard. He has had one of the best rookie seasons, and has been one of the NHL's best goaltenders since taking over full-time as the Wings' starter. Many have him inked in as the Calder winner as well having him penciled in as a Vezina and a Hart finalist.

While he certainly won't end up on the final ballot for the Hart with players like Henrik Sedin, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, or Ryan Miller and Ilya Brzygalov, he could possibly end up on the final ballot for the Vezina that looks to have Miller, Bryzgalov, Tomas Vokoun, and Martin Brodeur as contestants.

Valterri Filppula also has been a great when the Wings have needed him to step up. He's scored nine points in his past 10 game,s and his stepping-up has been a nice addition to the team's top six forwards.

One great thing that came out of the Red Wings' struggle with icing a healthy roster has been allowing spots and ice time for their younger players to further expose their team's depth.

The younger guys like Darren Helm, Drew Miller, and Patrick Eaves have shown they can play in the Wings' system of puck control, strict discipline, and commitment to both sides of the ice.

This team is riding a seven game winning streak, and with five games left, there's no reason to believe that they won't garner at least five more points to give them their fifth straight year with over 100 points.

With the recent run the Red Wings are on, they have again put themselves in a position where returning to the Stanley Cup finals isn't out of the realm of possibility, which throws a monkey wrench into the plans of San Jose, Chicago, and Vancouver.