Quest for the Cup

So, it is upon us once more: another glorious Stanley Cup playoff series in which the Red Wings will begin their quest for another title. Watching "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN the other day, I was somewhat surprised to hear Barry Melrose pick the Wings to repeat and win the Cup (surprised in that Melrose is not typically a huge fan of my beloved team) and because if I am being truthful, my boys have looked like I have felt of late .... slightly off their game. They have lost their last three games, the normally strong defense has been coughing up turnovers, and the goalies? Well, not overly strong either.

Should we be worried?

I think a true Red Wings fan (or any fan for that matter) should always be more supportive then negative, but perhaps a few key points to back up my optimism might help as well:

- Please remember the Red Wings always have a tendency to drop off towards the end of the regular season before picking it up in the playoffs, and a number of them admitted this year they were suffering from a bit of a "Stanley hangover" and found it hard to get going at the beginning of the season as well. (Hossa was a huge lift in that regard).

- In the 2002 season the Wings lost 8 of their last 10 games plus the first 2 in the first round against Vancouver before going on to win the Cup.

- A number of key players were not in the line up and Babcock was even mixing up lines during the last few games, things we will not necessarily see during the playoffs.

- This is the 1st playoff appearance for the Columbus Blue Jackets as a team and their two top players, Rick Nash and goalie, Steve Mason are, likewise, making their Stanley Cup playoff debuts. Can you say nerves, anyone?

- The Wings players combine for 1, 793 playoff games experience to Columbus players 401.

Now, of course, they still have to play the games, and we all know anything can happen in a seven game series. And I do have my points of worry. I would be lying if I did not admit I wasn't somewhat nervous about the goalie situation. Osgood seems to be suffering some crisis of confidence and Conklin is largely untested in the playoffs, so like I said.... I am a little nervous. I also firmly believe that something is going on with my favorite captain Nick Lidstrom. While everything is kept "close to the vest" it was mentioned a few weeks ago very quietly that he had some "minor" injury but no one would get specific and then he was "rested" during the last game of the season. Now anyone who has followed Lidstrom's career at all knows he logs something like a billion minutes of ice time a year (the man never rests .... the guys in the locker room have dubbed him the Super Swede) so I do not think he needs to rest unless something is wrong. I also worry since he has looked slightly less then his normal self on defense and has even lost the puck a few times.

Regardless, I know where I will be tonight. Firmly planted in my chair (just like Holmstrom parking himself in front of Steve Mason ha, ha!) ready to yell at the refs, scream in victory or swear in frustration. How anyone could not adore hockey is beyond my imagination. And for those of you who do not follow the NHL I will try to not turn this into a hockey blog for the duration of the playoffs, but I make no promises! Go Wings!