12Newf 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) Just came across this article and I found it pretty interesting even though the headline is pretty stupid, "Lidstrom has made the Wings better". does anyone here think Lidstrom's arrival and the wings becoming an elite franchise is a coincidence? not me, and im scared of the day he retires. http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2009/0...00004956827.txt A number of things on my mind today, all of which have to do with numbers … How good is Nicklas Lidstrom and how good have the Red Wings been because of him? Obviously in a team sport like hockey, no one player can be credited with wins and losses. But it's also no coincidence that Detroit's ascension to the top of the NHL correlates with Lidstrom's arrival. No other Red Wing's career mirrors the franchise's stay atop the standings so closely. In the 21 seasons before Lidstrom came to Detroit (1991-92), the Red Wings had just one 40-win campaign. The season before Lidstrom (yes, I guess I'm starting a B.L. timeline), the Red Wings had 34 wins and 76 points, which was a pretty good showing for the franchise. In Lidstrom's rookie season (would that be 0 A.L. or 1 A.L.), the Red Wings jumped to 43 wins and 98 points. In Lidstrom's 17 seasons (including this one), Detroit has had at least 40 wins in all but one — 1996-97 and that 38-win showing is forgiven because of the Stanley Cup that followed. (I pro-rated the 48-game lockout-shortened 1994-95 season.) Yes, there are several other big factors involved in Detroit being hockey's top franchise for the past decade and a half, including Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Vladimir Konstantinov and Kevin Hodson. OK, maybe not so much Hodson. But Lidstrom is the lone constant thread among players in the Red Wings' current run of excellence. So how does that match up with other NHL greats? The Red Wings' success with Lidstrom is one of the best runs in league history. If you do a quickie study of the won-lost record of NHL teams with individual players — estimating won-lost record using individual games played and leveling all seasons to 82 games — Lidstrom ranks third all-time in team wins over losses. In fact, the Red Wings have won approximately 402 more games than they've lost since Lidstrom joined the club. That puts Lidstrom in the midst of 11 former Montreal Canadiens in the top 13 all-time in this statistic. First is Larry Robinson followed by Henri Richard. Then comes Lidstrom followed by Bob Gainey, Serge Savard, Yvon Cournoyer and Jacques Lemaire. Chris Chelios ranks ninth on this list. Kris Draper ranks 14th. Lidstrom, Chelios and Draper are the only active players in the top 30. Edited March 22, 2009 by 12Newf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
finalfilppula 2 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 where did you get this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
12Newf 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 sorry forgot to add the link, i put it in the first post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rage 24 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 Whatever happened to Bruce? He never seems to blog anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
12Newf 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 Whatever happened to Bruce? He never seems to blog anymore. he still blogs, here is the link. http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rage 24 Report post Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) he still blogs, here is the link. http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/ That's what I am talking about. Notice his last two post were on March 10th and Feb 24th. He used to post a lot more often. Edited March 22, 2009 by rage Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
12Newf 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 http://thetripledeke.blogspot.com/2009/03/...riod-shots.html apparently this is what happened, "Because of significant layoffs in December at my newspaper, my job duties have changed slightly. I still have the Red Wings beat, but that beat doesn't include travel (hopefully just for the regular season) and hasn't included much practice coverage. The need for staffing in the office is undeniable. I'm not as involved with the Red Wings, but there are a few upsides for me personally. I've renewed my friendship with the snack machine in the office. That's helping the local economy immensely. And I've become much better at Guitar Hero. At this pace, I'll be able to move past the easy level in two or three years." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rage 24 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 http://thetripledeke.blogspot.com/2009/03/...riod-shots.html apparently this is what happened, Thanks man! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nev 1,085 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 Just came across this article and I found it pretty interesting even though the headline is pretty stupid, "Lidstrom has made the Wings better". does anyone here think Lidstrom's arrival and the wings becoming an elite franchise is a coincidence? not me, and im scared of the day he retires. The retirement of Lidstrom scares me far more than the retirement of Yzerman ever did. Stevie was a 3rd liner with a broken body playing through sheer willpower alone when he finally called it a day. Lidstrom is still arguably the most important player on our team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VM1138 1,921 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 The retirement of Lidstrom scares me far more than the retirement of Yzerman ever did. Stevie was a 3rd liner with a broken body playing through sheer willpower alone when he finally called it a day. Lidstrom is still arguably the most important player on our team. After viewing this year's defense I think we may need a massive defensive overhaul the day Lidstrom retires. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wombat 26 Report post Posted March 24, 2009 The retirement of Lidstrom scares me far more than the retirement of Yzerman ever did. Stevie was a 3rd liner with a broken body playing through sheer willpower alone when he finally called it a day. Lidstrom is still arguably the most important player on our team. I completely agree and I think the blog is on to something. I don't think Lidstrom catipulted the team towards greatness his first year or two, but he is by far the most important part of the team and has been for about 12 or so seasons. Especially this decade, he is the only player on the team that I would deem irreplaceable. As far-fetched as it might seem, if you're having a discussion about the greatest Red Wings of all time, Lidstrom has to be in the Howe/Yzerman discussion. It's difficult to compare forwards and defensemen sometimes but Lidstrom to me is probably 2nd on that list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CaliWingsNut Report post Posted March 24, 2009 It's a pretty simple concept... best player in the league makes an impact on a team. I am not as afraid as most here seem to be... If they are already planning on Z as successor, I'm sure there's other plans there too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yemack 1 Report post Posted March 25, 2009 He's M Jordan of hockey defence and you know how Bulls struggled after MJ gone. Kenny H will have a tough time putting the team together Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
