In the Corners: Is Detroit troubled on D?
By Brian A. Shactman
ESPN.com
The Red Wings showed completely different faces in the first two games of their West quarterfinal series against the Kings.
|  | | Lidstrom didn't have a good statistical day during Game 2. |
And going from shutout to shootout is more than a couple of vowels.
In Game 1, the Red Wings won a close game, only allowing 19 shots in the 2-0 victory. It was vintage playoff hockey, and all that Detroit needed to be was a little better than Los Angeles.
Then, in Game 2, all bets were off in the wild 8-5 affair. Coach Scotty Bowman's group gave up 44 shots -- including 21 in the first period.
So, the logical follow-up question: What do these disparate results mean for Detroit and its long-term chances for the Stanley Cup.
On the positive side, it shows that the Red Wings can win both the wide-open game and the tight-checking nailbiters. Winning is the most important thing, and in the playoffs, style points are irrelevant.
Whether Detroit can dictate which style is played is another issue. But the Kings must be a trifle deflated about scoring five goals in a postseason game against a team that has won two of the last three Cups -- and coming out with a loss.
But that's not the whole story for the Red Wings.
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GAME 2 PLUS/MINUS
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Name
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+/-
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Chris Chelios
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even
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Nicklas Lidstrom
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minus-3
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Larry Murphy
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minus-1
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Steve Duchesne
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plus-1
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Todd Gill
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plus-2
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Mathieu Dandenault
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plus-1
|
Detroit has a veteran set of defensemen, and perhaps, the five goals allowed in Game 2 shows the Wings may have some weakness back there. It sounds silly when names like Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios and Larry Murphy are mentioned because those are three of the best blueliners of this generation.
But the Big Three were a collective minus-4 in Game 2. Surprisingly, Lidstrom -- one of two favorites for the Norris Trophy -- had the toughest day with a minus-3. Lidstrom even scored an empty-ney goal, without which it would have been one worse.
Could age be a factor?
Lidstrom, who celebrates his 30th birthday later this month, is the spring chicken in Detroit's veteran coop. After Lidstrom's birthday, Mathieu Dandenault, 24, will be the under-30 oddball. Murphy, 39, and Chelios, 38, have been around a long time. And even though fellow veteran Steve Duchesne, 34, was plus-1 and Todd Gill, 34, was plus-2, there may be reason to red flag this group -- not for this series, but down the road.
If Detroit faces Dallas later in the postseason, it will be less of a problem, because the Stars are a bit long in the tooth up front, anyway. But St. Louis and Colorado have some serious speed at forward, which could be trouble.
Keep an eye on the sly, but slightly aging, defense corps of Detroit.
Emerson a mising element for Kings
The Kings showed a lot by continuing the offensive onslaught in Game 2. It begs the question whether a 100-percent healthy Bryan Smolinski and Nelson Emerson -- out with a finger injury -- could have made enough of a difference to grab a win in Detroit.
Emerson is a forgotten man. He came to L.A. to spark the offense and give the team depth, but he only played five games before getting hurt. Emerson scored just 15 goals this season and has a mere 21 games of playoff experience. But the right wing would be another player Detroit would have to deal with.
And since he's quick, Eemerson's speed may have been another thorn in the side of Detroit's defense.
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL Editor for ESPN.com. |
