One of the most remarkable, proudest streaks in the sporting world came to an end last night when the Detroit Red Wings were eliminated from making the NHL playoffs. That ended their 25 season streak of making the playoffs, a streak which dates back to 1990.
A 4-1 loss at PNC Arena to the Carolina Hurricanes, coupled with wins for Boston and Toronto put the final nail in the Red Wings coffin. It had been coming for weeks, though, as the Red Wings struggled to make any headway in 2017. The streak will be remembered for many years to come, perhaps not only for the length but also for the postseason success the Red Wings achieved as part of it. They won four Stanley Cups during their streak and they are the only club to have won four in the past 20 years. Back to back wins in 1997 and 1998 were followed up with two more in 2002 and 2008. They also made the final two additional times, losing in 1995 and 2009, a remarkable feat by a remarkable organization.
As for the game last night, it was very similar to a lot of Red Wings games this season where they simply failed to create enough meaningful scoring chances throughout the night. They managed just 22 shots on goal, with 12 of those coming in the final period. It was all too little too late for the Red Wings, though, as Carolina never looked like losing this one. Two goals in a span of five minutes during the first period gave Carolina a two-goal lead and they looked very comfortable after that, keeping the Red Wings at bay.
One small bright spot for the Red Wings was a first career NHL goal for Tomas Nosek, he scored to make it 3-1 and while it didn’t affect this game, he is one of many important young players in Detroit. The young core the Red Wings have is good, without being spectacular, and those players will be key to the rebuilding of this franchise over the next few years, although they have to perform better than this season.
Watching where the Red Wings go from here will be one of the most intriguing hockey stories over the next couple of years. With the franchise steeped in history and with a formidable Stanley Cup record, the fans will be looking to see improvement and fast. The Red Wings have plenty of young players either in the line-up already, or in the minors, and for those players now is the time to stand up and be counted.
