Last night the Wings took down the Oilers and an absolutely red hot Sammy Gagner by a final of 4-2. The win extended the Wings' home win streak to a franchise record 18 games, only 2 short of the NHL record. The bad news is I don't really see this domination at The Joe translating into a huge advantage come playoff time. Here's the main reasons why...
1 - During the Home Winning Streak We've Beat Several Non Playoff Teams
Over the course of the regular season some real shit shows have rolled into The Joe. I mean, I understand that you can't expect every team to make 20 straight playoff appearances but beating the likes of Edmonton doesn't equate to much of anything in my book. When push comes to shove, the fact of the matter is that every playoff team will have at least one decent aspect to their game. Whether it be a powerplay that can put up points, a physical game focused on derailing the talented attack of the Wings, or a tender on straight fucking fire, each team will have something that it brings to the table and there aren't gonna be any off nights at home or on the road during the playoffs.
2 - A Shit Ton of Our Home Wins Came in a Shootout or during the 5 minute, 4 on 4 Overtime
With the overtime rules being different in the playoffs the Wings lose what is a major advantage for them during the regular season. Come April, long gone are the days of the 4 on 4 overtime period and the shootout, which the skilled, puck control game of Detroit has used to their benefit while building this win streak. Don't get me wrong, I still like the Wings' experience to come out in big moments but during the playoffs I think their biggest advantage is a steady attack over the course of 3 regulation periods, not during an infinite overtime where one mistake can end things in a matter of seconds.
Two of the best from this season.
I wish I could fuckin bathe in that Bertuzzi spin-o-rama.
3 - Last Year the Wings Were Way Better on the Road Than at Home (64% vs 50%)
Despite this amazing win streak I still can't say I'm any more confident in their ability to win at home than I was in their ability to on the road last year. And as great as this run has been there hasn't been a tangible change in the environment at The Joe from a year ago when we were merely mediocre. It's hockey, and in the grand scheme of things rinks aren't all that much different from one another. Yeah, the crowd might get a little rowdier during a run like this and there is always something to be said about the springy boards in Joe Louis but it's not like the Packers playing at Lambeau where the weather is a constant factor or the Twins playing in the Metrodome where their speed and small ball mentality gives them a distinct advantage over 90% of teams. And despite Detroit's grand tradition of kicking nonstop ass and all the success they've had at home this year, you have to understand that it's still the same barn that they went .500 in last year.
