Since Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom came upon the scene for The Detroit Red Wings they have become a team that has been able to win games. They have had solid seasons with a 20 season streak of making the playoffs (excluding the lockout season). Right now they have a team dubbed to be full of old players, yet with the likes of Jimmy Howard and Patrick Eaves out with injuries and Zetterberg having a frustrating season for his standpoint they have a 36-17-2 record this season and are currently on a streak of 19 consecutive wins at home. For those that don't know the current record of consecutive home wins is currently held by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers with 20. So the Red Wings being 1 home win away from tying an NHL record is a good season for sure. The best part of this organization is that it has placed itself in a position to continue to be this strong in the upcoming years.
Ken Holland has to be one of the best GMs in the league. He has set this team up perfectly. Starting out in as the Wings GM in 1994, Holland has built a team that in my opinion has one of the best set ups a team can have. Within the roster you see a team filled of older players and mid-aged players. Filled with depth and filled with skill. It is a team built to be a team. Every player can only compliment the next player. This line-up though being older always seems to return. They can continue to play to an old age, and re-sign cheaper just so they can stay with their beloved wings. This gives Holland the ability to keep his prospects in development far longer than most other teams would. With the likes of Tatar, Jurco, Smith, Mursak, and Pulkkinen developing, they are sure to have some great players once the older players such as Lidstrom and Holmstrom decide to retire. Some of the more developed players such as Tatar could be playing 2nd or 3rd line in most teams right now. This gives the wings leverage and flexibility within their line-ups.
Another aspect that keeps them this strong is their head coach. Mike Babcock, much like Holland, is among the best in the league, proven by his name being on the coach of the decade by Sports Illustrated. His accomplishments continues to grow as he gains things like being one of the fastest coaches to reach 70 playoff wins. He has brought two different teams to the finals three different times (Anaheim once and Detroit twice) and has won the Stanley Cup once (2007-08 Detroit Red Wings). He has brought the Red Wings to 1st place in The Central Division every year from the 2005-06 season to the 2010-11 season except for the 2009-10 season in which they placed 2nd. His players trust him and follow every word he says. It's hard to argue a record of 304-126-62 record in only six seasons with the Red Wings.
With both Holland and Babcock's work in the Red Wing organization it is hard to argue against the strength that the Red Wings are showing. With a captain such as Lidstrom teaching the younger players it is hard to disagree when stating that this team will be a good team for a good amount of time.
The next home game for The Red Wings is on Sunday at 7:30pm against the Philadelphia Flyers. It's almost poetic when the game that would have Detroit tie the record is against one of the franchises that currently holds the record. The Flyers has a respectable 31-16-7 record so far this season and has a 4-3-3 record in their last 10 games.
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