Over the next two weeks, Octopus Thrower will rank each of the ten Detroit Red Wings teams during the Salary Cap Era which began with the 2005-2006 season.
Regular Season and Stanley Cup Playoff success were both used as the metrics for judging ranking. Stanley Cup Playoff success was given a greater weight when determining final rankings.
Today we focus on the 2006-2007 Red Wings.
#10 – 2013-2014 Red Wings
#9 – 2014-2015 Red Wings
#8 – 2011-2012 Red Wings
#7 – 2012-2013 Red Wings
#6 – 2009-2010 Red Wings
#5 – 2005-2006 Red Wings
#4 – 2010-2011 Red Wings
#3: 2006-2007 Detroit Red Wings
Record: 50-19-13
Playoff Result: Defeated Calgary in Western Conference Quarter Finals 4-2; Defeated San Jose in Western Conference Semi-Finals 4-2; Lost to Anaheim in Western Conference Finals 4-2
Team MVP (Chosen By Octopus Thrower Staff): Pavel Datsyuk
Team’s Theme Song: Here Comes the Boom – P.O.D
Heading Into the 2006-2007 Season
The Red Wings finished the 2005-06 season with 124 points, good enough for first place in both the Central Division and Western Conference. Detroit looked prime for another Stanley Cup championship run heading into the playoffs before being upset by the eventual Stanley Cup runner up, Edmonton Oilers who entered the playoffs as the eighth seed.
Detroit then said goodbye to two very famed and special players in all time franchise history
Steve Yzerman announced his retirement at the end of the 2005-06 season and Brendan Shanahan left via free agency to sign with the New York Rangers after the season. Detroit was then left with the difficult task of replacing their captain for the past 20+ years in Yzerman, and a 40-goal scorer the previous season in Shanahan.
2006-07 Season Overview
The Red Wings were lucky enough to have their young talent pick up the slack in replacing Yzerman and Shanahan on the offensive end of the ice while leaning on the leadership of new appointed captain and team veteran Nicklas Lidstrom.
Henrik Zetterberg led the team in goals (33) throughout the regular season while Pavel Datsyuk led the team in points (87). Lidstrom provided a strong back bone for the Red Wings on the blue line while former goal tending sensation Dominik Hasek manned the net for Detroit.
Team veterans also played a big role in Detroit’s success in for the 2006-07 season with Tomas Holmstrom, Kris Draper and Chris Chelios playing major roles in the tame makeup. Each player was able to play at least 70 games throughout the season.
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Detroit also added famed forward Todd Bertuzzi to the team in a trade during the regular season in hopes of adding some grit and scoring ability into and in the playoffs.
Detroit achieved 50 wins with 13 overtime loses in the regular season tallying them up to 113 points and again giving them the number 1 seed heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Moment That Defined The 2007 Playoffs: Johan Franzen‘s double overtime, series clinching goal against the Calgary Flames after being slashed by Flames backup goaltender Jamie McLennan previously in the series which resulted in McLennan’s ejection and suspension.
The Skinny: With Detroit being upset by Anaheim, Calgary, and Edmonton the previous three seasons, the Red Wings were looking to get back to championship form. Although 2007 did not produce a championship for the franchise, the season laid the foundation for very successful seasons to come.
Why They Earned Their #3 Ranking
The 2006-07 season was a huge step in the right direction for the franchise. Not only was Detroit able to overcome the departure of both Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan, but the team was able to avoid being upset again in the first round of the playoffs. We knew the core of the team had the ability to lead the Western Conference in points, but the ability to move back into competing for a Stanley Cup Championship. Getting to the Western Conference finals was a huge step for Detroit even through they had been one of the strongest teams in the West for years. What the 2006-07 season did was give Detroit their confidence to compete in the playoffs again. Detroit would return to the Stanley Cup finals the next two seasons.
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