Detroit Red Wings: Top 5 Games We’re Looking Forward to in the 2017-18 Season
By Trevor Shaw
The Detroit Red Wings officially released the 2017-18 schedule, let the hype begin.
With the ending of the Red Wings playoff streak of 25 years this past season, it definitely had a lot of fans in disbelief. The organizations last three playoff appearances resulted in first round elimination, which has split fans into those who want a complete rebuild and those who want a swift and immediate action. No matter how you feel about the direction this club is going, one thing we can all agree on is the anticipation of what’s to come in the upcoming season. Next is our top five games we’re looking forward to in the 2017-18 season.
#5: Colorado Avalanche @ Home – 11/19/17
Over the course of the past twenty years, there has been bad blood between these two teams, it’s what made these organizations one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Today, the rivalry is slowly dying out from the player perspective and has focused more on the how the fans view these clubs. Colorado had a tough season last year finishing dead last, but the great thing about the National Hockey League is even the worst teams can give the best ones a run for their money. It all comes down to when the puck drops and one team decides they want it more right down to the last second, and In the end, it’s all about bragging rights. This is why these clubs are still so enjoyable to watch and why the die-hard fans holding on to spilled blood care so much about a nearly dead rivalry.
#4: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Tampa Bay – 2/15/18
One name comes to mind when you think about the Red Wings and the Lightning organizations, which is the great Steve Yzerman. The Red Wings once beloved captain who became the general manager of Tampa in 2010, is a strong connection between the two teams. With a quickly increasing number of Wings fans in Florida, these two clubs always have a high amount of energy in the building they are playing in. Sheer aggression and scrappy plays blended with the speed and flow of today’s young guns is what makes these games so easily watchable. This game later on in the season is usually accompanied by the intensity of playoff hopes which creates an enjoyable game for every hockey fan.
#3: Toronto Maple Leafs @ Detroit – 12/15/17
The Red Wings and Maple Leafs have always produced edge of your seat type games, hence why they have been given two outdoor games against each other since 2014. The drive from Toronto to Detroit is an estimated four hours, which creates an evened out crowd in Detroit every time. If you never lost your voice in a “Let’s go Red Wings”-“Go Leafs Go” chant war at the Joe, then you missed out on something truly spectacular. It’s definitely something we can’t wait to hear with the increased capacity at the Little Caesars Arena when these two original six teams face off.
#2: Las Vegas Golden Knights @ Las Vegas – 10/13/17
There’s a lot of excitement around the NHL with Las Vegas being added as the 31st NHL team. With the Expansion Draft behind us, each of the other 30 teams found out which player would be leaving for Vegas. As a result, the Red Wings loss of forward Tomáš Nosek is one that impacts the future of the organization. Nosek was a key player for the Grand Rapids Griffin’s spectacular season and playoff run that led to a Calder Cup this year. The Czech is well-known for his defensive abilities, as well as his 6’3″ 210-pound body in front of the net. It would be nice to see Nosek and previous Red Wing Teemu Pulkkinen, the pick from Arizona, suit up against the Wings this year.
#1: Minnesota Wild @ Detroit – 10/05/17
Season openers are a tremendous deal for sports teams, it’s where they send their message to other teams on how they want their season to play out. Also, fans get to truly see how far their team has come since the off-season and preseason. The first game of the 2017-18 season is an important one for the Red Wings due to its location at their first regular season game at Little Caesars Arena. What better way would there be to break in a new arena and season than with a win?
That wraps up our top five games we’re looking forward to in the Red Wings 2017-18 season. Go Wings!