Mike-Babcock-9-25-14

Mike Babcock, entering his 10th season as Red Wings coach, knows his team must grind for points and battle to get into the playoffs.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT – No introductions were necessary when the Detroit Red Wings reconvened following another offseason that was too long for their liking.

They return virtually the same team that slipped into the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference and bowed out quickly, in five games to the Boston Bruins.

So what makes them believe they will fare any better in 2014-15?

Three reasons – better health from an aging but still effective core, more growth from a talented, young nucleus and better goaltending from Jimmy Howard.

The Red Wings ranked second in the NHL with 421 man-games lost to injury. Some of their best players – Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Jonathan Ericsson – were among those who missed a significant portion of the season. Injuries are inevitable, but a little better luck with health should translate into a few more points in the standings.

Some good came from the injuries -- young players thrust into more prominent roles delivered. Gustav Nyquist – who still hasn't played a full NHL season – led the club with 28 goals. The Kid Line of Tomas Tatar (19 goals), Riley Sheahan (24 points in 42 games) and Tomas Jurco provided offense and energy. Rookie defenseman Danny DeKeyser was second on the team in average ice time, playing in all situations.

"The kids that came up basically carried us into the playoffs," team captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "Now when everyone is healthy and to have those (young) guys on your team, it is exciting to see what we will do. We're going to be a fast team with a really good mix of old guys and young kids."

Said Howard: "Without the younger guys the (playoff) streak probably would have ended. Hopefully they're ready to take the next step."

The Red Wings, who open the season Thursday at home against Boston, ranked 16th out of 30 teams in goals per game (2.65) and goals against (2.73).

They believe their offense will be better because they can dress three reliable scoring lines, even without Daniel Alfredsson, who tied for the team lead with 49 points. He's still determining whether his ailing back will allow him to play another season.

They need much more from projected second-line center Stephen Weiss, who was limited to 26 games (two goals, four points) due to a sports hernia. It would help if Franzen showed some consistency instead of only flashes of dominance.

They also need their power play, under new assistant coach Jim Hiller, to be better than 18th in the league.

The Red Wings couldn't address their biggest need in the offseason – a right-handed shooting defenseman to quarterback the power play. They brought back the same seven defensemen from last season, led by Niklas Kronwall and featuring Brendan Smith, who could be poised for a breakout year.

The unit will look better if Howard returns to form. The workhorse goalie took a step back (2.66 goals-against average, .910 save percentage) after two solid seasons.

The Red Wings are riding a 23-year playoff streak, the longest current run in the four major sports (the next-longest streak in the NHL is 10 seasons by San Jose). But they haven't advanced past the second round since 2009. They're not satisfied just to qualify.

"This organization is all about winning," Kronwall said. "You can't keep getting kicked out of the first round. We need to get over the hump and really get a good run going."

Coach Mike Babcock, whose future with the organization is uncertain as he heads into the final year of his contract, always sees the glass as half-full.

"We're getting better again now, but we're not getting better with old guys, we're getting better with young guys," Babcock said. "So last year was a breakthrough year for us. When you're on the outside looking in you might not see it, but to me, since '09 we've still been a good team.

"We're a Cup team. You could say the whole league is a Cup team because it's so tight. But there are four or five teams that you look at – Chicago, L.A., Pittsburgh, Boston – they're Cup contenders. The rest of us are fighting to be in that pool."

The Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins again appear to be the class of the East. The Red Wings hope to be in the next tier, along with the New York Rangers, Montreal, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Columbus.

"I don't think anyone has got us pegged to win the Presidents' Trophy, so we're going to have to grind," Babcock said. "I think that's the key for our success -- depth up front and getting after the other team and really skating and competing. We're really going to have to work and compete and learn how to play together if we want to have success."

Once again, it figures to be a battle to make the postseason.

"I think it's been like that since Nick (Lidstrom) retired (after 2011-12)," Zetterberg said. "Ever since then we haven't been assured anything for the playoffs. Somehow we've found a way to make it there and we're going to do the same this year."

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