At the quarter mark of the NHL season, we know a few truths about the league: The Devils are awful, the Bruins' goaltending has come down to earth, and the Penguins are finally living up to their talent. The Los Angeles Kings are proving how youth can be effective, and the Blue Jackets are surprisingly decent. And, perhaps most bafflingly, the Detroit Red Wings are yet again refusing to show their age.
Ageless wonder Chris Chelios retired from the Wings in August after playing until the ripe old age of 48, but the average age of the team still remains near 35. Future Hall-of-Famer Nicklas Lidstrom, the 40-year-old defenseman, is on pace for another 80-point season this year. Despite what some may think, Lidstrom's performance is not an anomaly on a team where those who would be crusty veterans on most teams are playing like spring chickens.
On the offensive side, Johan Franzen and Danny Cleary, 30 and 31 years old respectively, are providing much of the team's firepower with 10 goals apiece. Tomas Holmstrom and Todd Bertuzzi, 37 and 35 years old, respectively, appear to be playing better with age as well. The team's offense is clicking, as evidenced by the four players on the team who have over 13 assists. The Wings have gotten at least one point in 17 of their 21 games.
While the defense has been lacking as of late, especially comparing to this prolific offensive, it is an impressive unit in its own right. With a 10th-place penalty kill and a fourth-place goals for/against ratio, the defense is keeping up protecting the goal both shorthanded and at full strength.
The statistic most evident of the strength of the Detroit defense is the seventh-place ranking for shots against per game at 28.6. Detroit wins about 20 percent more when it outshoots opponents.
One cannot talk about the defense without talking about two key players: the captain Lidstrom and goalie Jimmy Howard. Lidstrom has been a defensive anchor on the team for years now, effective on both sides of the puck. His 17 assists and 20 points make him the team's highest-scoring defensemen, all coming from a player who has played over 1400 games in 18 seasons in the NHL.
Chelios and Lidstrom were good friends throughout their time playing, and when Chelios retired, he stated that Lidstrom would likely play until he was 45 at the same elite level. We'll see whether that comes to fruition, but Lidstrom shows no intention of slowing down.
Lidstrom's effectiveness, the team's offensive prowess and an effective defense are no surprise to those who follow the Red Wings. They are, and have been, a dominant team. However, one of the major surprises this year is Howard. Initially perceived as a weak link in the team, he has come out and shown his ability and desire to be the team's starting goaltender. With an average of 2.49 goals scored against, and a save percentage of 91.4 percent, he is proving that he can certainly play at a high level.
These numbers are skewed, however, due to the fact that Howard has had a few downright awful games. His seemingly uncanny ability to bounce back from the performances and occasionally put a team of players upon his shoulders shows his maturity as an NHL goalie.
All teams in the Western Conference, and perhaps the league as a whole come playoff time, would like to see the Red Wings slowing down. But with old players refusing to show their age and a goalie rapidly improving his game, these Red Wings are still flying on top of the league.
