Here's a a decent article about what the Wings have going for them and against them in the playoffs.

LINK

Nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering, but really not a bad article for those who don't follow the Wings closely.

My break down:

I think the one thing that Kulfan (the writer) left out as a plus for the Wings is coaching. He touched on it a little, but I think the last year with Dave Lewis as coach, he was more of a player's coach. He trusted that the superstars were going to step it up on their own. Sort of a Marriucci type philosophy.

The only problem was... THEY DIDN'T.

Babcock has said that no one is going to be allowed to coast this season. He has driven this team hard. Considering how far he took the Ducks a few years ago (when they eliminated the Wings, and were considered not good enough to be there), I think he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

He will be a driving force behind the bench. He also has shown to have Scottie Bowman type skills at changing lines. He hasn't stayed with any line-up all season. He's plugging players in and out of different lines, and therefore no one has gotten in a comfort zone. The players have played their best for him, without growing complacent, something Lewis couldn't do.

As for the injuries, I really think a lot of those injuries are precautionary. If the Wings were still fighting for a playoff spot or whatnot, those guys would be playing. As of now, they've clinched the Western Conference, and it seems smart to rest those guys while they can. I do agree though, as long as everybody gets a few games in before the playoffs start, they should be fine. If they get no game time, then jump head first into the playoffs, they could come out rusty.

Goaltending? I really hope Legace is ready. And I hope Osgood is ready too. You can never tell what's going to happen with goalie streaks and goalie confidence. They could run into a hot team with something to prove, and... well, remember when we played Calgary last playoffs?

GO WINGS!

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