The 2011-12 season came to a crashing halt for the Detroit Red Wings when they lost their first-round playoff series to the Nashville Predators in five games.
Shortly after the season ended, the Red Wings got the news they dreaded hearing. Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom was calling it a career after 21 brilliant seasons, all of them with the Red Wings.
Bobby Orr was undoubtedly the most spectacular defenseman in NHL history and perhaps the best player in the game’s history.
However, Lidstrom was probably second to Orr in overall ability and perhaps the most consistent player at the position over a long career.
Then, as free agency got underway, the Red Wings wanted to make a big splash by signing stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The Red Wings have often been able to get exactly what they wanted, but not this time. Both Parise and Suter signed with the Minnesota Wild (source: New York Times).
With the shocking loss in the playoffs, the retirement of Lidstrom and the failure to secure Parise and Suter, the Red Wings are clearly on their way down, and it’s just a matter of time before their streak of 2 ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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