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 Friday, December 13, 2002
Detroit not ready to join elite yet
By John Davidson
Special to ABC Sports Online
This Detroit team ranks as a team that has had a great year, and is sprinkled with players who have had Hall of Fame careers. There are eight to 10 players on this team who could make it into the Hall, led by a Hall of Fame coach.
But when you try to rank them among the greatest teams of all time, you can't. If the Red Wings win the Cup, it still is just one Cup. The best teams like the Montreal Canadiens (1956-60, 1976-79), the New York Islanders (1980-83) and Edmonton Oilers (1984-85, '87-88) won a ton of Cups in succession. Maybe those teams didn't have as many Hall of Famers as this one does, but they were together as a team for a longer period of time and won in succession all those Cups. This one hasn't done that.
|  | | Igor Larionov and the Wings are closing in on their third Cup in six years. |
I fully respect that this is a great team, and it is a great team, but it doesn't have the longevity that the greatest have. If the Wings stay together and try to win it again next year, cool. But there are a lot of players on this team who are on the back nines of their careers. Will Dominik Hasek play next year? Will free agent Chris Chelios return?
The Red Wings have had a great decade, but the great teams are the ones who can win four in a row. To win four series in a row is remarkable. To win four series in a row and to win four Cups in a row is really remarkable. Those are the dynasties. Those are the great, great teams.
When the Oilers did it, they had constants like Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky. Detroit has added. They have good management, great support from ownership in order to get the right people. But a lot of the guys are not long-term Red Wings.
I think it's a great team. But I don't think it ranks with those aforementioned teams. Those are great, great teams.
Carolina has a good, young hockey club. But to duplicate this feat next year would be difficult. The Hurricanes have solidified their franchise. They have some good young players like Cole, Vasechuck and Svoboda. They have a chance to become great players.
They have done really well. If they repeat this next year, it will be really something. They have a chance. They got hot at the right time, played smart, played good defense and got good goaltending. They have a good future.
But they enter a tough situation on Thursday night. Game 5 reminds me of my 1979 Rangers team. We won the first game in Montreal, lost the second and then lost two in a row at home, one in overtime.
We then had to go back to Montreal as Carolina is heading into Detroit. It's going to be tough because the team at home knows how to win. It's the same script, and the other team has the same coach behind the bench (Scotty Bowman). I know what Carolina is up against.
The lesson that I saw a team learned that almost cost them something special was the Rangers in '94. The Rangers lost the first game at home, won three in a row and went home to close out and win the Cup. Vancouver won Game 5, and the next thing you know it, it was a seven-game series. The Rangers won it, but just barely.
Detroit is a championship team and I don't think the Wings will let it slip away. If they do, I will be surprised. They know how to win the tight games, how to take advantage of home ice, how to play disciplined, and when they have somebody down a little bit, stomp them.
To have a chance, Carolina is going to have to be really good defensively. The Hurricanes are not going to get three on Hasek. They are going to have to win 2-1 or 3-2 in overtime.
The extra day off between Games 4 and 5 helps Carolina. First, it may get the Detroit players a little off-center thinking about where the celebration is going to be, if there relatives have tickets, etc. Second, it gives Carolina an extra day to rest mentally and physically. The Hurricanes are not as deep as the Red Wings, and they were exhausted after the triple overtime game. They were not sharp in Game 4.
It's going to be a tough game. The Hurricanes will give their best shot, but they are up against it.
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 Dominik Hasek stops all 17 shots en route to his sixth shutout of the playoffs.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sergei Fedorov slips the puck to Brendan Shanahan who beats a sliding Arturs Irbe.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jiri Fischer fakes the shot and makes a brilliant pass to Igor Larionov for the tally.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Boyd Devereaux's pass finds a lane past the defender and Brett Hull scores his 100th career playoff goal.
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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