As an avid hockey fan, specifically a Detroit Red Wings fan, seeing the Wings lose in the second round to the San Jose Sharks was one of the most heart-breaking moments for me.
After an injury-riddled season full of ups and downs, Detroit Red Wings fans around the world were concerned when the team entered the post-season for the 20th straight year.
Queue a first round rematch with the Phoenix Coyotes. Led by captain Shane Doan and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, the Coyotes were hot heading into the postseason.
Red Wings doubters were in full-force, but the team was quick to silence them. Winning the Western Conference Quarter Finals in a sweep, the argument of rest versus rust came into play.
In a second round rematch with the San Jose Sharks, the side of rust was more prominent in the first three games. While the first three games were decided by one goal, the Sharks jumped out to a dominating 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
But the Wings weren’t finished just yet. In true Red Wings fashion, the team won the following three games to tie up the series and have fans asking “Why not us?” The Wings became only the eighth team to force a game 7 after losing the first three games and had the chance to make history to be the fourth team to win a series after being 3-0.
The Sharks went on to win game 7 by a score of 3-2. While the loss was disappointing, the Wings gave fans everywhere something to be proud of. While the team could have thrown in the towel, the Wings fought back and gave it their all.
Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard was proud of how his team played.
“We don’t quit, no matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is. We leave it out there,” said Howard.
The Wings gave us Detroit fans something to believe in. Whether captain Nicklas Lidstrom retires this off-season remains to be seen, but the Wings have shown that the team is still capable of anything and everything.