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Wingdings

While many journalists and fans remain consumed with the four and out exit made by the Detroit Red Wings last season that they can't see the Wings as potential holders again of the Stanley Cup, this fan has much brighter and higher expectations for the team. Expectations are a normal extension of history to be sure but some only rely on or seem to remember the most recent events tending to forget the long term.

It is the long term success of the Wings along with this years performance that has me excited. The Wings with all the adversity wrapped up in the season between the Fedorov departure, the return of Hasek creating a goaltending dilemma, the injury to Darian Hatcher and the subsequent loss of him for most of season, additional injuries to Zetterberg, Draper, Hasek, Cujo and other key players forced the Wings to mix and match lines with many different players that one might have pictured if only for a moment, Scotty Bowman standing stoutly behind the bench.

Perhaps the time is now to credit Scotty Bowman for the Wings continued success. Bowman, as part of his coaching standard, believed all players need to know how to play with everyone on the team not just on fixed lines. This approach had the Wings fully ready when finally a potentially disastrous season arrived, the Wings simply breezed right through. Any lesser team would not have faired nearly as well. Any lesser team would not have managed to garner the President's Trophy as the NHL's top  team.

The Wings are a team bred to win and while no one can predict with 100% accuracy what the future holds, if the past 10 seasons of success are a barometer of possible future events then the Wings may just be storm rising up for another Stanley Cup win. Albeit a year behind many a weatherman's forecast.