Red Wings Rumblings
There are four games left in the season, the Red Wings lost last night, and somehow this team is STILL not eliminated from the playoff picture. For some reason, I am reminded of the scene in Gladiator where Commodus says to Maximus: “What am I going to do with you? You simply won’t die.”
No but seriously, Detroit’s playoff chances will likely go up in smoke this weekend, and while last night’s loss didn’t help one way, it did bump them up one spot in the draft order! WOOHOO. Problem is, it’s too late to even focus on “tanking.” It’s not something you decide to do in April, at least not if you’re a competent organization (I don’t want to get into that topic).
The Wings (currently) have a three-percent chance of landing the no. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. So… I am saying there’s a chance, but in all likelihood, this team will be selecting in the 9-13 range. Exciting stuff. I really hope the Griffins can make some noise in the playoff, because I am not ready to swing into draft analysis mode… I never am.
Okay, so good news outside of this whole mess — Former Red Wings coach Pat Ferschweiler and his Western Michigan Broncos men’s hockey team is headed for the Natty. The Broncos took down Denver in double OT last night. The game overlapped with the Wings, and full disclosure — I paid more attention to WMU. The Broncos had one of the more impressive stretches of play I have ever seen in college hockey last night. It’s amazing what Fersch has built there — again, I think he is one of the best coaches in the sport. WMU will face Boston University tomorrow night for the National Championship. My eyes will be glued to that game.
Before we wrap up and charge forward into the weekend, keep an eye on the Euro prospects this weekend. Axel Sandin Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s Skelleftea are down 3-1 in their playoff series right now, and could be eliminated as soon as tomorrow. If that happens, both first-round picks will likely be on a plane to North America soon.
