Capitals Vs. Red Wings: 2015 Opponent Outlook
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings are both teams that are aging. However, they are also both Stanley Cup contenders. How do they match up against each other?
The Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals are crossing paths more and more these days now that the Wings are in the Eastern Conference, and when the two teams meet this season, we should be in for some fun hockey. The Wings and Capitals meet twice in November, both at Joe Louis Arena, then return back to D.C. in December for their third and final contest of the regular season. Last year, the Capitals took the season series 2-1 in three games against Detroit.
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Which team has a better outlook for 2015-2016? That depends who you ask. Let’s start with the Wings, who took the Tampa Bay Lightning to seven games and very nearly dethroned the eventual Eastern Conference Champs in what would have been a spectacular first-round upset. Many would say that recently-departed Mike Babcock managed to nearly lead his outgunned squad to victory over a relative Goliath in the Lightning.
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Babcock, of course, left to join the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason in what is perhaps the most talked-about coaching change in the last decade. Jeff Blashill now takes over for Mike Babcock after spending time coaching the team’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Nate Francis, who covers the Red Wings for Octopus Thrower, actually thinks this could be a positive change.
“The Detroit Red Wings are going to be better and Mike Babcock being gone will be a large part of it. Don’t get me wrong–I love Mike Babcock, but the time was now for change. And there wasn’t a better person to replace him with than Jeff Blashill,” Francis said.
“Several prominent Red Wing players–including Captain Henrik Zetterberg, have talked about how ‘refreshing’ it is to have a new voice. Blash–while tough–is more of a player’s coach than Babs ever was. Further, he employs a faster game that will only give legs to an already speedy Red Wings team looking to transition in younger players. Even better for Wings Nation–the majority of young players were coached by Blash in Grand Rapids.”
Two of the prominent up-and-comers for the Red Wings are Anthony Mantha (21 years old) and Dylan Larkin (19 years), who may play significant minutes as forwards this coming season. They’ll join a nicely-developing young core that includes Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, along with aging veterans Pavel Datsyuk (37-years old), Henrik Zetterberg (34) and Johan Franzen (36).
Their prominent offseason addition as all Capitals fans are likely aware was Mike Green, the former Capitals defenseman who signed as a free agent and will aid an already deadly power play unit. The Wings also added C Brad Richards who should be a nice depth addition. Perhaps their biggest question mark remains in net, where Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard represent a good-not-great tandem. Nonetheless, Francis remains optimistic about his team’s outlook.
“With the slate clean, a player’s coach, and some key additions, the Wings are going to do some damage this year. A lot hinges on the tandem of Mrazek and Howard, but also seeing if Green brings in the firepower and offensive onslaught the Wings have lacked from the blue line since Nick Lidstrom retired. Many wonder if Larkin will make the team, the much heralded former Michigan Wolverine who has been compared to Jonathan Toews. Also turning heads are Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, and Tomas Nosek.”
Francis has them going a long way this year.
“I lean toward the Wings being better–second round/Conference Final of playoffs better. Injury of course can derail those expectations, but I expect the Wings to build upon their 100 point season in 2014-2015.”
The kicker, of course, is injuries and the Wings’ aging core. Without Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Franzen all healthy I think they’ll still easily make the playoffs in a mediocre Atlantic Division. If those three aren’t healthy, or if Mike Green suffers one of his frequent injury-plagued seasons, or if their goaltending isn’t at its best, I think they’ll have a difficult time making a deep playoff run, especially if they have to face Tampa Bay again.
I think the Capitals have an ever-so-slight edge over the Red Wings at the moment. Their core talent like John Carlson, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom is a little younger and Braden Holtby gives them an edge in net.
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