Detroit Red Wings Make a Statement: Cup Still Goes Through Hockeytown

We've all heard the same word that seems to follow the defending Stanley Cup champions the following season - hangover.  For the past 10 years, the lack of success of the Stanley Cup champions in their following season have only strengthened the ideology behind the "hangover."

Even this year, despite the Red Wings having the third best record in hockey, the "hangover" stigma has dogged them since the first dropped puck of the season.  Detroit has not found any consistency on defense or in their goaltending. 

Their offense and extremely dangerous power play unit has allowed them to outscore their opponents in most games, something that Wings fan aren't used to seeing.  Last years' team won with stifling defense and strong goaltending.

Despite the defense not finding its rhythm to this point, they have just one fewer point than they did last season after 31 games.

There's really just one reason for people associating the Red Wings with a "hangover," and that is the amazing start of the San Jose Sharks.  Without their performance to this point of the season, this article wouldn't be written. 

They are on pace to set multiple records this year, including most wins in a season and most points in a season.  They have won often, and they usually win big.  They are amongst the league leaders in offense, defense, differential, and penalty killing.  They've also not lost a single game at home in regulation and had only lost three times in regulation overall. Unreal statistics with 30 plus games into the season.

Games in December typically do not have a whole lot of meaning in the NHL, but Thursday's match-up between San Jose and Detroit at the Joe Louis Arena could give us tremendous insight into both of these teams. 

Would San Jose prove that they could play with the big boys, or would they capitulate under the pressure as they have in previous postseasons?  Would the Red Wings show why they won the Cup last year, or would they continue to look disjointed and disinterested?

After Detroit's 6-0 whalloping of San Jose, it seems safe to say that the Wings have sent a strong message to San Jose and the rest of the NHL: If you want the cup, you're going to have to take it by force.  At the same time, this was the second game of a back-to-back for the Sharks, and their fourth game in five days.

So what should we take from Thursday's results?  It's still too difficult to tell at this juncture.  A game like this could really catapult the Wings into one of their patented hot streaks that typically separates them from the rest of the league.  It could also bring the Sharks crashing back down to earth. 

More than likely, the path should reside in the middle of the two possibilities. The Red Wings should be able to establish more consistency in their defense and goaltending, and most would agree that the Sharks would not be able to maintain their absurd level of play for an entire 82 game season.

With two more match-ups remaining between these two juggernauts, only one thing is for certain: there's two more opportunities for further statements to be made by both teams.