On the Wings

Update (2:43 PM): James Gunner at 8 Feet points out that the slumping 8th-place Flames may have a rough go of it this week, with a game against the Wings as well as the Predators, while Colorado has it pretty easy, with two games against the free-falling  Edmonton Oilers.

So, the scenario IwoCPO outlined is looking more and more plausible, especially with the Wings’ pretty much powder-puff schedule (with three big exceptions, i.e. a game each with Anaheim, Dallas, and Nashville) to the end of the season.It’s shaping up to be an interesting race for that final spot. - Matt

IwoCPO looks at the standings and proposes that the best first round opponent for the Wings would be the Colorado Avalanche, despite the fact that the Avs are one of the hottest teams in hockey. It’s hard to disagree, because such as series would probably bring out the best in both teams due to the presence of Todd Bertuzzi, and the Wings are their best are a good bit better than the Avs at theirs. So, Iwo hopes the following two things happen:

(1) The Wings need to secure the 1. (b) The Dive need to continue “never seeming to lose anymore.”

I agree. If the Wings are to take 1st place in the Conference, they’ll have to win to do it, which means they’d go into the playoffs hot and not complacent, as they have been in years they’ve had the first seed locked up in March. And if the Avs are going to make it, they don’t have much room at all for losing, as they sit outside the playoffs right now in the 9th spot, four points behind Calgary. Two teams fighting to rise in the standings right to the finish would be a much better matchup than a team already set in a seed just waiting for the other to grab their own.

Now, I don’t like that matchup if the Wings aren’t playing their A-game (in that case, Dallas or Calgary would be better, though still very dangerous), but if both teams are “on,” it would be a great series.

Still, I hate trying to figure out which opponents would be best for the Wings because they’ll all be tough and in every case, the Wings won’t get away with bad play. We can try to propose teams that would seem ideal, but it’s up to the players to elevate their play, not to hope for what seems like an easier matchup.

So all this depends on whether or not they go into the postseason awake. If they end the season lulled into complacency, the question is whether or not they can wake up in time. If not, it won’t matter who they’re playing. But if they actually show up to play, they stand a very good chance, I’m confident of that, even with the more “undesirable” opponents.