Seidel: In playoffs, anything can happen for Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings enter the playoffs in such a strange position.

They have a coach who might — or might not — be headed out the door.

They have a young, inexperienced goalie who will start in net, even though he doesn't have a second of playoff experience.

They have an experienced, inconsistent, millionaire goalie who will start out sitting on the bench.

They proudly cling to a rich, successful history, having advanced to the playoffs for a remarkable 24 straight years. It's something that should be savored and appreciated in Hockeytown. And yet, the Wings have been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in two of the last three years; and it has been six since they have gotten out of the second round.

They have some aging superstars who might — or might not — be able to squeeze through a shrinking window of opportunity and stay healthy long enough for any kind of sustained playoff run.

They have a team that can be maddening to watch, frustrating and inconsistent, turning the puck over, allowing ridiculous goals and making stupid mistakes.

Steve Yzerman would rather not face the Red Wings

Quick note to a certain Red Wing, at the risk of pointing out the obvious: Never, ever reach out and touch the puck with your glove. Never!

And the fact that that has to be pointed out shows the precarious situation in which this team finds itself.

The Wings are nearly universal underdogs against the Tampa Bay Lightning when they open play in the playoffs Thursday. And yet, those aging superstars know how to win. They have been through this before. Coach Mike Babcock is as driven as ever. A couple of key players appear to be healthy again. Mistakes can be fixed. And it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Wings' young goalie could catch fire, as the perpetually optimistic are quick to point out: Hey, Petr Mrazek did beat Tampa Bay in the regular season!

So that leaves Wings fans with a small measure of hope mixed with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Strange days indeed.

Welcome to the playoffs, Hockeytown, where the official team playoff slogan is a little different from the past: Get your uncertainty on!

And that uncertainty starts in net.

But both teams have it, in differing degrees. While Mrazek will be playing in his first playoff game, the Lightning also will start an unproven playoff goalie.

A year ago, Ben Bishop was injured and didn't play in the playoffs for the Lightning. But the 28-year-old Bishop is far more experienced than 23-year-old Mrazek. Bishop went 3-1 against the Wings this season, holding the Wings to less than two goals per game. But, repeat after me, Mrazek did have a win over the Lightning on March 28.

Then, in the next breath, let's point out something that can cut both ways: The regular season means nothing this time of year.

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Nothing is guaranteed

The Wings enter the playoffs with a lot of question marks. Are they the team that played so well early in the season or are they the one that scuffled over the last six weeks?

"We've had a lot of bad games in the last six weeks and we have had a lot of good games," Darren Helm said. "We will have to feed off of those."

To have any chance of matching Tampa Bay's powerful lineup, the Wings need a great series out of center Pavel Datsyuk. The Lightning is a scoring machine, especially in five-on-five situations.

"They are really skilled," Henrik Zetterberg said. "They are really good offensively. We have to take advantage of having them in their end. We have to get the puck in, get it deep. Play through the neutral zone. Not turn the puck over. If you turn the puck over, they are really dangerous."

If the Wings have an edge against the Lightning, it is on special teams. The Wings have the second-ranked power play.

"Come playoff time, if you have good special teams, that could win you a series," Niklas Kronwall said. "It really is simple as that."

That, and don't make stupid mistakes.

"I think it's the biggest point in the playoffs," Jonathan Ericsson said. "You can't make mistakes. We have talked about it a lot lately."

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It's paying attention to small details. It's about reducing risks.

"They are a really fast team, they are really fast transition team, so if we are going to make mistakes, we are not going to go through this first round," Ericsson said.

It's about playing smart. It's about being consistent. It's about eliminating bad goals.

And if the last six weeks are any indication, it won't happen.

Then again, if there is one thing that is true about the NHL playoffs, it is this: The regular season doesn't guarantee anything this time of year.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.