Can the Wings repeat?

Hello Detroit!

As our summer draws to a close, the teperature is cooling, the leaves are changing color and that can mean only one thing! IT’S HOCKEY TIME!!!!

Yes our Detroit Red Wings are returning to the ice as the Stanley Cup champions! And as always the question is? can they win the Stanley Cup? Were just 7 games into the 2008/2009 season and the Wings are off to a good start with a 5-1-1 record. While they are off to a good start and it’s still early in the season, i have seen some things that concern me! The Wings are a highly skilled, puck possession team that is very solid defensively! I believe this team is capable of another 50+ win season and will win the division! The thing that concerns me is the defensive zone giveaways and the serious lack of physical play! The loss of Dallas Drake (retirement) and Darren McCarty (waived) has not yet been addressed. One thing that stood out in last years playoffs was the hard hitting, physical nature of this team! And while their offensive numbers (McCarty and drake) were not spectacular, the physical pressence they provided was a catalyst in their stanley cup run. Last years playoff performance was the first time i can remember any Wings team out hitting their opponent in every round! The addition of Marion Hossa will only help to bolster this talented offensive group but the last time i looked hossa was not known as a physical force.

The defense remains the same and im not concerned with our top 4, (Lidstrom, Rafalski, stuart, Kronwall) but i am concerned with the play of Brett Lebda and Andreas Lilja! While they played decent in the playoffs in limited ice time, both players seem to have a habit of defensive zone giveaways! And with 3 of our top 4 defenseman getting up there in years! im concerned with the outcome of increased ice time for Lebda and Lilja!

The Detroit Red Wings are one of the best franchises in all of sports! and they have been putting a great product on the ice for us for the last 17 years! and i believe they will continue to do so! The Wings never seem to have to rebuild, they just have to tinker a little bit here and there! G.M. Ken Holland has done a wonderful job of building this team, building a farm system, devoloping youg talent, and putting together deals at the trade deadline to solidify this team for a long playoff run! He will do it again! and so will the Wings!