They suit up a devastating 1-2 punch up front, equipped with uncanny creativity. Their captain Jonathan Toews is an understated, solid leader and brilliant two-way player who wears No. 19. People often question the goaltending of Corey Crawford, but his numbers suggest that there’s nothing to worry about.
For some Detroit Red Wings, looking at the Chicago Blackhawks is an awful lot like looking into a rear-view mirror at what they used to be.
From 1995-2009, the Wings were the NHL’s most dominant franchise, winning four Stanley Cups and appearing in six final series.
Since 2010, it’s the Blackhawks who’ve owned the NHL, lifting Lord Stanley’s mug three times during the past six seasons, a sextet of campaigns that has seen Detroit never win a playoff series past the first round.
Handled 5-2 by the defending Stanley Cup champions Wednesday at Joe Louis Arena, the Red Wings will get another crack at the Blackhawks Sunday at the United Center, but regardless of the outcome of that game, no one can honestly suggest that Chicago isn’t the class of the league.
Wings fans may find themselves swallowing hard as they admit it, but the fact of the matter is that in the NHL’s salary cap era, the Blackhawks have emerged as the league’s model franchise.
“Chicago’s obviously done a real good job over the past six years with what they’ve accomplished in the playoffs,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “They’re a very well-rounded, two-way team as well. It’ll be a great opportunity again for us to measure ourselves.…
Blashill certainly sees the parallels.
“These have been two of the best franchises over the past two decades,… he said. “The history goes much beyond that. Two great, great franchises. I think it’s awesome. It’s not just any team, it’s the Chicago Blackhawks. We’re not just any team, we’re the Detroit Red Wings.…
Chicago forwards Patrick Kane, the NHL scoring leader and runaway leader for the Hart Trophy, and rookie Artemi Panarin, the Calder Trophy favorite, have developed a sixth sense on the ice that also looks familiar to veteran Detroit players.
“Him and Kane, they find each other pretty much anywhere,… Detroit defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. “They’ve got this little Hank (Zetterberg) and Pavel (Datsyuk) connection, so obviously they’re good.
“We’ve got to be aware of them wherever they are. They’re a little unpredictable on the ice, too because they maybe don’t follow the standard routes, so you’ve got to keep an eye on them and try to stay close and not give them as much room.…
Much like when Zetterberg and Datsyuk teamed up to lead Detroit to the 2007-08 Stanley Cup, that task is easier said than done.
“It’s tough,… Detroit center Riley Sheahan admitted. “You’ve kind of got to limit their ice but at the same time, when you get close to them they’re really good at making moves and getting by you one on one.…
As deep and as skilled as the Blackhawks are, they got significantly better at the NHL trade deadline, something the Wings would do in the run up to the playoffs back in the day when they dominated the league.
“They were really good to start with and then they made some additions here, more than I thought they were going to do,… Ericsson said of the Blackhawks. “I didn’t even know they had any (salary cap) room to do it.
“I was a little surprised there, how hard they went at it. They got some good guys. They’re obviously going for it again and they’re probably going to have a really good chance.
“They’ll be right up there in the rankings and predictions of who’s going to be taking home the Stanley Cup.…
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