Saturday, February 16, 2008

Motor City Malaise


Five in a row and counting, usually when you hear that news coming out of Detroit it's about another string of Red wing victories.

But things are a little different all of a sudden in the Motor City, as the Red Wings continue to struggle through the mid way portion of the season.

Friday night they dropped their fifth straight game and once again provided the spectacle of having Chris Osgoode chased from a game, as the Columbus Blue Jackets easily dismissed the Wings at the Wings own Joe Louis Arena.

Columbus was off to a fast start and never looked back on their way to the 5-1 victory, highlightin a Detroit team that is suddenly a little off their game plan, giving away too much of the ice to the opposition and failing to provide much in the way of defence in their own end.

The Wings have been frustrating their coach Mike Babcock for most of the last couple of weeks their slide, but never more so than Friday, providing for what Babcock called their worst effort yet.

For Columbus it was an important victory coming as it did in a traditionally unfriendly rink, one where they seldom have found success and more importantly the win helps keep their drive for a playoff spot alive.

For Detroit, what normally might have been a tonic for a losing skid, instead becomes what could be the midway point of rougher patch for the Wings, who now must move on to play Dallas and Colorado before heading to Alberta to play the Flames, Oilers and then the Vancouver Canucks.

Should five in a row become ten in a row, then things might become very interesting in Detroit.

Detroit News--Red Wings struggle, drop fifth straight
Detroit Free Press--Chris Osgood pulled as Wings drop fifth in a row
National Post--First-period flurry grounds Red Wings
Columbus Dispatch--Blue Jackets trounce Red Wings

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