If there was any team that was due for a letdown in 2013, it was the Detroit Red Wings.
After nearly two decades of NHL dominance, the Red Wings were about to begin a downward spiral. They had been knocked out of the 2012 playoffs in the first round by the Nashville Predators and soon-to-be Hall of Fame defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom had decided to retire.
The Winged Wheel was apparently going flat. That scenario was coming true in the lockout-shortened regular season, as the Red Wings found themselves in a non-playoff position with one week to go. The Red Wings had basically become a .500 hockey team.
First 10 games
Second 10 games
Third 10 games
Fourth 10 games
Final 8 games
Final record
5-4-1
4-4-2
5-3-2
5-4-1
5-1-2
24-16-8
Then it happened. The Red Wings won the final four games of the regular season and made the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They upset the second-seeded Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs, winning the seventh game on the road.
The magic continued for much of the second round, as they built a 3-1 lead over the Chicago Blackhawks. While the Blackhawks ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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