Wings' Streak Has Yet to Fly South

Published on 30-Apr-2013 by Davis McGregor

NHL    NHL Daily Review

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Wings' Streak Has Yet to Fly South

Captain Zetterberg & Co did it again. The playoff streak started up by hockey greats Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov has been kept alive.

Scoring 56 points this season clinched Motown’s berth as a 7-seed in this year’s post-season.

This streak -- and no, not nude streaking Patrick Kane -- remains the longest active streak in any of the four major North American sports. A Red Wing season that started off shaky, at best, pulled out of its doldrums by winning eight of its last ten games. Losing star defenseman Nicklas Lidström took a more drastic adjustment than even the Wings' brass anticipated, but fellow Swede Niklas Kronwall gradually assumed leadership of the blueline, putting the spotlight back on Detroit’s scoring.

Zetterberg will be the first to state that when you have Pavel Datsyuk on your team and a solid defense, it’s almost hard to lose. Well, as long as it’s hockey related. Anything else, including speaking English, isn’t really Pavel’s cup of tea. Or whatever is it they drink in Russia. Hopefully it’s more than just vodka.

Today, however is a day that Pavel and the Wings should be drinking vodka, with the team's Swedish contingent possibly deferring to aquavit. A playoff streak stretching across four decades and two millennia continues, and the only thing stopping these Wings from flying through the brackets is an Anaheim Duck or two.

A repeat of the 2009 Stanley Cup Conference Finals would be just what this Detroit team needs to give them momentum to delve deep into the playoffs.

Not bad for a rebuilding year.