Wings open in Stockholm with 4-3 loss

But don't let that decide your opinion on their chances this year.

It was quite disappointing, really.

The Detroit Red Wings blew a 3-1 lead Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues, who rallied to win it with three goals in the 2nd Period to win it, 4-3.

Now don't get suddenly worried. I have confidence that the Wings can recover from this, simply due to the fact that, well, they're the Red Wings. And we can always count on the Red Wings. Call me naive all you want, but this is realism. The Wings have finished at or near the top of the league every year during the decade. They have been by far the most trustworthy team in Michigan.

Times are tough, but the Red Wings ought to provide some relief. I laugh when I hear the argument about how hard it is to make it to three consecutive Stanley Cups. Sure, it's not easy, but it's certainly doable. And there's no doubting that the Red Wings will enter the season very hungry. If losing game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on your own ice, in front of your own fans, to a team that you simply can't stand doesn't result in motivation, then I don't know what does.

Forget the loss of Marian Hossa. The Wings have plenty of potential in star forwards Valteri Flippula and Dan Cleary, both of whom will likely improve, particularly Flippula. I don't know much about Cleary, other than that injury limited him last year which means he ought to be in for improvement. But Flippula is the one that gets my attention. I have to admit that as the season starts, I feel terrific about the young Fin's ability. With Hossa and Hudler gone it means more minutes, something he lacked last year. Flippula will be on the third line this year, and I'm sure that, by the time the season is over, plenty of teams would like to have this guy on their first line. Flippula, a two-way, speedy, stickhandling forward, has shown that he has some Datsyuk in him.

More punch will come from youngsters Darren Helm, Villie Leino, Justin Abdelkader, and, perhaps most of all, defenseman Jonathan Ericsson aka Big E. The Red Wings have also added enforcer Todd Bertuzzi and shooter Jason Williams. My guess is that they took Bertuzzi to replace Kopecky and Williams to replace Samuelsson. If I'm correct, then there's a good chance that the strategy will work.

There will be a renewed focus on defense and goaltending this season, which is no surprise considering Osgood's rocky start last year, as well as the ineffective penalty kill. Ericsson will add some skill to the defense, and Chris Osgood has vowed to avoid another terrible start. I remain convinced that what Osgood encountered was a mental problem and nothing more. He put it behind him with a Conn Smythe-worthy playoff performance, and ought to avoid it this year. And with guys like Niklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Ericsson, and Brad Stuart behind (or rather, in front of) him, he should have all the help that he needs.

There is no reason to suddenly be worrying simply because of an 0-1 start. The only way that this will shape the Wings' season is if they let it.

And, given their track record, it's safe to say that they won't.