Battle of the Top Two
Posted by Scott on December 17, 2008
Thursday night in San Jose will be the battle between the top two records in the Western Conference as the Wings face the Sharks. The Sharks currently have the fastest start to an NHL season with the best record ever at the 30 game mark with a 25-3-2 record. Detroit is sitting second in the conference with their misleading 20-6-4 record, and today got the news that Goalie Chris Osgood may miss time with a groin injury. At this point it remains to be seen if the Wings will call up one of their goalies in Grand Rapids, however it’s likely with them on a West Coast swing.
The odds would say that the situation favors the Sharks, who have been strong offensively and solid defensively. Whereas the Wings have been inconsistent offensively, and sluggish defensively. This looks like it could be the kind of game where the challenge of facing the team with the best record could get the Wings to play their best effort of the season for a full 60 minutes. So far this season that commitment to defense hasn’t been there, and it’s been frustrating for both the team and the fans.
However, it is a long season and there is plenty of time to right the ship and move forward.
On a side note, is anyone really surprised that the Dallas Stars are 6-4-0 in their last 10, and the winning percentage in that time seems to coincide with the suspension and all but cutting loose of Sean Avery? I certainly don’t.
