Climbing A Broken Ladder

By Adam W Parks

Saturday, January 23, 2009 Kings 3 @ Red Wings 2

The Wings gave up their third two-goal lead in four games and lost at home to the Kings. The loss dropped them back out of the top eight spots in the Western Conference, but a Flames loss put them back in. It seems as though win or lose the Wings are just stuck in one place. Each time they look poised to move up they slide back down, unable to hold their grip.

Shakedown in the West

Here is what the situation looks like as of Tuesday morning: two teams (San Jose and Chicago) are battling for the top spot, two are writhing at the bottom (Columbus and Edmonton), and eleven others are separated by only twelve points. Leading the middle of the pack are Colorado and Vancouver, tied with 66 points, in a fight for the Northwest Division. Phoenix has all but waved goodbye to the Sharks and the Pacific Division title and are parked with 63 points, clinging to the fifth seed.

L.A.'s victory over Detroit gives them 61 points and a bit of breathing room as they are now tied with the struggling Predators. Nashville is 5-5-0 in their last ten. The Wings are 4-4-2. Despite losing six Detroit still managed to earn the same amount of points and remain just three points behind their Central Division rival.

Although Calgary and Detroit are tied with 58 points, the Flames have been doused in their last ten (1-8-1) and have lost six straight. The future looks brighter in Detroit, and if Calgary is unable to find some consistent ice to skate on, they could get easily get bitten by one from the rest of the pack.

Here Come The Snakes

So shut your windows lock your doors
Here come the snakes you best be sure
To keep your conscience bolted tight
'Cause they'll be lying waiting... ~Eric Bachman (Crooked Fingers)

Of all the teams dwelling outside of the playoff picture that should be most feared of striking with their disgusting venom are the Anaheim Ducks. They appear so friendly and harmless, but if you give them a chance they will crap all over your yard. If the stupid Ducks are able to waddle their way into the playoffs, they could be the most dangerous team in the West.

Like the Wings, though not to the same extent, the Ducks have battled through injuries all season long. Unlike the Wings, they have put together a long stretch of consistent and strong play and victories. Anaheim boasts the second best record in the conference in the last ten games at 8-2-0 (the Sharks are 8-1-1). Currently residing three points behind Detroit, the Ducks gained seven points on the Wings during that stretch.

Another team to possibly keep an eye on is St. Louis. With 54 points, the Blues have a solid goaltending duo (Chris Mason and Ty Conklin) and are well-balanced in the scoring department with ten skaters with 20+ points and eight with double digit goals. For comparisons sake, Detroit has just seven guys with 20 or more points, and only five with ten or more goals.

The most interesting thing about the Blues is that they tend to sing tunes true to their namesake at home. The team has five less wins (9) and twice as many losses (14) in St. Louis than it does in other NHL cities. Teams that comfortable on the road can often times become pitfalls late in the season.

Ponderin' and Predictin'

The Wings have 31 games left. Will Mike Babcock get 50 wins for the fifth straight season? No. Will Detroit win its ninth straight Central Division title? No. Will the Wings make the playoffs?

There is little to fear about that final question. Of the teams currently positioned below Detroit, Anaheim has the best opportunity to slide in there. The Flames have a lot of work to do to turn their season around, but I cannot see them getting back in unless more than two currently contending teams fall out of contention. Despite the weak argument above for St. Louis, I do not like the Blues to supplant any team in front of them. Dallas and Minnesota should mire away in mediocrity and slowly slip out of the discussions.

So if the Wings are in, and Anaheim is in, and Calgary is out, then who is the one likely team to fall? The Avalanche and the Canucks are in a tight race for the third and fourth spots and are not likely to relinquish either any time soon. Phoenix has slipped a little, but Ilya Bryzgalov is likely to return to form and get his fellow Coyotes into the playoffs. The Kings showed a great deal of toughness and resiliency on Saturday, and Jonathan Quick is the real deal. They should be fine.

That leaves the Predators. Nashville is the prime suspect to tumble. They are not necessarily a bad team, but they are just a big fat phony. They widened a gap between themselves and Detroit early in the season, but that has shrunk considerably. Now with the Wings getting healthier, and with four more matchups with Detroit left this season, the Predators seem doomed.

As long as the Wings can secure a good foot hold relatively soon, they will begin to climb the ladder to the fifth seed in the West. Mark it, Dude.

Peace.