Two Americas
03-21-2009, 03:46 AM
I don't understand how the Red Wings can be so good for so long, not that I am complaining.
They had a great team back with Coffey and Yzerman and that crew in the late 80's. Then they put that team together with the Russian five and win cups. Then they sign every aging superstar in the league and win some more cups. Then all those guys retire, and they lose like 10 hall of fame players and their captain, and so they cobble together another team with a bunch of Swedes and Finns and Czechs no one had ever heard of and win the cup the first year with those guys. Now here they are atop the standings again and about to win another president's cup.
How does every prospect pan out, every trade work, every fill in contribute, every role player work out? Change goalies, no problem. New coach, no problem. Everybody retires, no problem. Lose your captain, no problem. Lose your hall of fame coach, no problem. Lose your top 6 scorers, no problem.
And there is no pattern - other than winning. Every 3 or 4 years they have a completely new cast and a completely different philosophy, and they still win. Offensive team? They win. Defensive team? They win. Old team? They win. Young team? They win. Team of super stars? They win. Team of unknowns? They win. Canadian players, they win. European players, they win. Over the hill guys make new starts. Raw prospects develop as hoped. Unknown un-recruited guys become all stars. Cast-offs find a home and flourish.
I was at a game a couple of years ago, and something like 10 regulars were out with injuries and there were a whole bunch of minor league players I didn't know on the ice. They still dominated and won. They had brought all of these replacements up from the Grand Rapids minor league team and still won every game with those guys for a week or so.
They had a great team back with Coffey and Yzerman and that crew in the late 80's. Then they put that team together with the Russian five and win cups. Then they sign every aging superstar in the league and win some more cups. Then all those guys retire, and they lose like 10 hall of fame players and their captain, and so they cobble together another team with a bunch of Swedes and Finns and Czechs no one had ever heard of and win the cup the first year with those guys. Now here they are atop the standings again and about to win another president's cup.
How does every prospect pan out, every trade work, every fill in contribute, every role player work out? Change goalies, no problem. New coach, no problem. Everybody retires, no problem. Lose your captain, no problem. Lose your hall of fame coach, no problem. Lose your top 6 scorers, no problem.
And there is no pattern - other than winning. Every 3 or 4 years they have a completely new cast and a completely different philosophy, and they still win. Offensive team? They win. Defensive team? They win. Old team? They win. Young team? They win. Team of super stars? They win. Team of unknowns? They win. Canadian players, they win. European players, they win. Over the hill guys make new starts. Raw prospects develop as hoped. Unknown un-recruited guys become all stars. Cast-offs find a home and flourish.
I was at a game a couple of years ago, and something like 10 regulars were out with injuries and there were a whole bunch of minor league players I didn't know on the ice. They still dominated and won. They had brought all of these replacements up from the Grand Rapids minor league team and still won every game with those guys for a week or so.