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head coach: Scotty Bowman

roster: C - Steve Yzerman, Igor Larionov, Kris Draper, Sergei Fedorov. LW - Brendan Shanahan, Vyacheslav Kozlov, Doug Brown, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby, Brent Gilchrist. RW - Darren McCarty, Joey Kocur, Martin Lapointe. D - Nicklas Lidstrom, Bob Rouse, Slava Fetisov, Larry Murphy, Dmitri Mironov, Jamie Macoun, Aaron Ward, Anders Eriksson, Mathieu Dandenault. G - Chris Osgood, Kevin Hodson.

standings:

Western Conference - Central Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA   
p-Dallas     82  49  22  11   109  242  167  
x-Detroit    82  44  23  15   103  250  196  
x-St Louis   82  45  29   8    98  256  204  
x-Phoenix    82  35  35  12    82  224  227  
Chicago      82  30  39  13    73  192  199  
Toronto      82  30  43   9    69  194  237  

x - Clinched playoff spot
p - Clinched President's Trophy

team news:

by Dino Cacciola, Detroit Correspondent

Believe.

That word became the base of the Red Wings' season. It was the one thing that the Wings had going for them to repel any doubt or fears of a possible failed season. Anything short of repeating would be a failure.

After all, this team was not supposed to win anything. This team lost its best defensemen, if not best player, to a serious auto accident. This team chose not to re-sign the Conn Smythe winner from the 1997 Cup team, goalie Mike Vernon.

This team had an aging defense that was thought to be too slow and too small to do anything. This team was not as exciting as the Avalanche or the Stars in the West. After all it was assumed that the Avs had more talent. And the Flyers and the Devils were supposed to rise in the East as legitimate powerhouses. Then there was the holdout of star center Sergei Fedorov for most of the season.

The odds of repeating as Stanley Cup Champions are not very high to say the least. So with a little luck and a lot of faith, this team did what it had to do to win and remain Stanley Cup Champions.

The Wings remained in second place in their division for most of the season. The high flying Stars were on a roll and the Wings could not pass them for the lead. It seemed that the Wings were basically just going through the motions, waiting for the playoffs to begin.

The Wings also started the season without the services of Kirk Maltby who had a separated shoulder. The team was virtually the same team from a year ago less the services of Fedorov, the injured Konstantinov, and the departed Tomas Sandstrom and Mike Vernon. The new face of Brent Gilchrist, acquired from the Stars as a free agent, hoped to add stability to the forward lines with his experience. The Red Wings also had hopes in the youngsters as well, Jamie Pushor, Tomas Holmstrom and Anders Ericksson, to finally make an impact. Mike Knuble played quite a bit as well and showed signs of great potential. This season also marked the emergence of Holmstrom as a bona-fide NHL power forward.

So in this compact season due to the rescheduling from the Olympics, the Wings did a pretty good job of playing near the top of the league standings. They are a very well balanced team that continuously throws four lines on the ice. Scotty Bowman constantly mixed up lines to thwart opponents and keep players happy with loads of playing time. So with the absence of Sergei for the better part of the season, the Wings seemed like the playoffs were well within reach.

But questions of Chris Osgood's play were the main focus throughout the season and heading into the playoffs. Constant comparisons to Mike Vernon and the doubts that he could equal his output from a year ago were brought up all the time.

On April 1, the Red Wings played their archrivals Colorado in a game that was supposed to be the prerequisite to a possible Conference Finals meeting. Shades of last year, when the famed brawl took place, a similar act was about to unfold. Patrick Roy urged Osgood to fight him during a melee that had broken out minutes earlier. So the smaller Osgood obliged and held his ground pretty well against the towering Roy. The actual fight was a draw but Ozzie had just won the hearts of the fans and the support of his teammates as Vernon did a year ago. He showed that he had fight and he had character. This team was not about to back down or go out without a fight. This may have been the turning point in many of the fans' eyes for the team. Some say it was the return of Fedorov in the lineup. But most will always say that this team BELIEVED, and that was the key.

Trades: To answer the question of an aging defense, the Wings did little if anything to squelch that label. In fact they probably reinforced it with the acquisition of 37-year-old Jamie Macoun from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a draft pick. They also traded young defenseman Jamie Pushor to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Dmitri Mironov. Both were acquired to bring experience for the playoff run. Macoun brought size and was a stay at home defenseman that can hit. Mironov was nominally one-dimensional with a blistering slapshot. Both brought to the table aspects that were missing with the loss of Konstantinov. Macoun played very steady and was a force to be reckoned with. Quietly he did his job and did not look too out of step since Murphy and Fetisov are old as well and not exactly gazelles.

Playoffs: The Wings were the third seed in the Western Conference and headed into the Playoffs with a first round match up with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes matched well against the Wings for the most part, taking them to six games. The Wings lost the services of Doug Brown heading into the playoffs with a separated shoulder. But the Left Wing Lock system worked and the depth of the Wings ultimately prevailed. But questions of soft goals by Chris Osgood in the series again spurred doubts. Clearly the best players in this series were Fedorov, Shanahan, and suprisingly Tomas Holmstrom. Fedorov clearly was playing spectacular hockey, as it was in his contract to receive $12 million if the Wings made the Conference finals.

In the second round the Wings played the St. Louis Blues. The Red Wings had eliminated the Blues two seasons in a row and revenge was a major factor in this series. Chris Osgood's play was again questioned when he let a 90-foot slapshot from Al MacInnis past him with just under a minute to play in one of the games. So the doubters were out in full force again as the Blues took the Wings to six games. The Wings held off for the most part the wicked power play that the Blues presented to them. The Blues primarily played four defensemen and by Game 6 the Wings were just too much for the Blues to handle. The depth of the Wings, not to mention the scoring ability from many players, was the key. Fedorov had just earned his $12 million bonus for helping the Wings get to the Conference finals.

The Conference finals claimed to be the series to watch, and it was widely believed that the winner would be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. It was definitely a nail biter from both teams' perspectives. The Stars were without one of their best players, Joe Nieuwendyk, and it clearly showed. The Stars could not muster much offense with the three lines that they threw against the Wings. Brendan Shanahan was playing with an injured back and was for the most part invisible on the ice. Brent Gilchrist, a former Star, was playing with a pulled groin, which turned into a tear at the end of the series. Again the highlight or lowlight of the series was the long shot Ozzie allowed by Jamie Langenbrunner to send the a game into overtime in which the Wings eventually lost. The nay-sayers were out in full force to say the least. Hockeytown was uneasy. But Ozzie and the Wings proved to be resilient in their efforts. The Wings won the series in six games and dethroned the favorites from playoff competition.

The Stanley Cup finals.

The Red Wings took on the Washington Capitals to try and defend their championship. And so they did with a second consecutive year sweep in the finals. Each game was close, but none defined what the Red Wings were more than Game 2. In Game 2, the Wings were down 4-2 and came back to win 5-4 in the third period -- perhaps the best third period of the entire season for the Red Wings. Their backs were against the wall and they showed great focus and determination to win it.

Granted, the defensive system the Wings had was just too overpowering for the Caps in the end. Chris Osgood hunkered down and Steve Yzerman captured the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player. All season long the Wings were focused on winning the Cup, and when things were looking good or if a bad goal was scored they just remained focused and believed. After all, what Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergie Mnkastakanov have to endure is far greater than any hockey game could ever be. With that in mind, who was going to stop them?

Believe.

Nicklas Lidstrom by Meredith Martini

TEAM MVP: Nicklas Lidstrom. This quiet, unsung hero has become the talk of the NHL. He was an all-star, and Olympian, and the runner-up for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman. He was paired with veteran Larry Murphy and led all defensemen in the league with his scoring prowess. He has great mobility, is strong on his skates, and has a very strong shot from the point. He kills penalties and quarterbacks the first power-play unit. He does not take stupid penalties, has a great plus/minus rating, and is very well respected in the league for his clean play. This Swede came to play in the absence of Vladimir Konstantinov. His best asset is his hand eye coordination, which allows him to keep the puck on the boards and in the offensive zone.

St. Nick was the MVP of this team. But the unsung hero would have to go to Sergei and Vlady. Their presence was felt the whole season and their inspiration to the Red Wings can never be overlooked. Runner up would have to be the Grind Line of Maltby, Drapes, and Kocur.

SURPRISES: The surprise player could be chosen from quite a few on the team. Martin Lapointe, Dougie Brown or even Ozzie. But the consensus pick would have to be Tomas "Homer" Holmstrom. He camped himself on every goalie's doorstep and drew countless penalties throughout the playoffs. His timely goals and his play along the boards was nothing short of spectacular. During the regular season he would not play that much and was even scratched from some games. But he has evolved into a tenacious power forward to be reckoned with. The Demolition Man has finally arrived in Hockeytown.

DISAPPOINTMENTS: Well it could be Dmitri Mironov, who only played in seven playoff games because he was a defensive liability. It could be the fact that Aaron Ward was in Bowman's doghouse. Perhaps the declining goal production of Shanny, but he did do well on the power play. Maybe it was the fact that Steve Yzerman was left off the list of that other magazine for being one of the top 50 players of all time. It is really hard to say that there is one major disappointment with this team. The tragedy from a year ago kind of shadowed every event. Not much could disappoint after that. When you win the Stanley Cup, it can't be said that there is any disappointment in any event that happened.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: It would seem that Slava Fetisov will retire before next season begins. The 40 year old has done a very fine job and the end is near. The loss of Doug Brown to expansion is a real killer. He came through with clutch goals and this was his best offensive season of his career. He is a leader on and off the ice and is a great presence in the locker room, as well. The Wings may try to trade to get him back as he surely will be missed. Mironov may not return either. The Wings will give Yan Golubovsky and Maxim Kuznetsov every opportunity to make the transition from Adirondack. Scotty Bowman should return for one final season behind the bench. Jamie Macoun has been signed for another year. Bob Rouse needs to be signed, as well. The Wings are very interested in signing Uwe Krupp, a Scotty Bowman favorite. Nicklas Lidstrom will decide if this is his last season or not in the NHL. He wants to return to Sweden. All in all, don't look for too many changes as the Wings are very deep. Why try to fix something when it is working so good? If it ain't broke then don't fix it!

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