Early on in the season, things were strange and unusual for Red Wings fans. We watched in disbelief as our Wings hovered around .500. It just didn't seem like it was happening. This was the Red Wings after all.
And yet, it looked as if the Red Wings, the most dominant team in the NHL over the last 15 years, give or take, were heading into the season as underdogs. Underdogs.
Players had gone away. Marian Hossa headed to Chicago, Jiri Hudler to Moscow. Johan Franzen remains out for a few more months with a torn ACL, while Valteri Flippula is expected back sometime after Christmas. Niklas Kronwall, Dan Cleary, Jonathan Ericsson, and Jason Williams are all injured as well.
But recent games have brought back hope. It's mainly the new faces that are providing it, too. Patrick Eaves, Jimmy Howard, and Drew Miller are just a few of the young stars that have been shining lately. Add Todd Bertuzzi's recent perfomances, and things are suddenly going very, very well.
Should Franzen, Flippula, and the other wounded Wings return, things may actually look more promising than ever. The Red Wings will have immense depth, should the young guys continue to perform well.
Even better here is the fact that, as a team now compsed of young stars, the Wings look to be in for bright future. Why, who knows? It's very possible to say that, in 5 years or so, Eaves and Flippula will be the equivalent of Datsyuk and Zetterberg; Howard the equivalent of Chris Osgood (come to think of it, Howard could be there in more like one year, the way he has been playing).
But what about now? Well, this is the Red Wings. They can overcome a rough start. They certainly have the weapons to do so. Once the injured players return, they will probably be better than they were last year. I mean, they would have most of the same guys, with extra depth, defensive improvement, and a much better goaltending situation.
For the first time all season, things are looking up in Detroit.
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