So how about the goaltender less Detroit Red Wings. With a horrendous start of two losses to divisional rival St. Louis Blues. The Wings gave up 9 goals combined in their first two games, and despite the two goal leads that they had in each of the games, they still managed to give up multiple goals in short time spans in both of the games which ended up causing them to lose in both games.

It wasn’t just the fact that they lost in both of the games, or that they gave up a lot of goals, it was the quality of the shots that scored. The shots were going right through the goalies, simple, harmless shots that somehow went on the ice right under the goalies. I am a goalie, and I play Bantam AA travel hockey. Kids at my level are still far away from the pros, and most will never make it, but even at that level the goals that were being given up by Osgood, and Howard (Red Wings goaltenders) are considered week goals.

I did however see things that were positives. Even though they gave up nine goals in the first two games, the defense looked good, which was a positive sign. Last year their defense had faulterd at a part of the season, and the team lost many games in that period. It was good to see the team play good D, however you can’t give up an average of 4.5 goals a game, and expect to have a fifty win season like they have the past two years.

The bottom line is this, Detroit is going to have to work harder this season, and they are going to need the goaltending to be there. The Western Conference central division has got a lot stronger, and the Wings are really going to have to compete for the divisional title this year. In my mind I wouldn’t be surprised if the Red Wings didn't win the divisional tilte. For some odd reason this year just kind of seems like one of those rebuilding years for the Wings.

We lost three important players in the offseason (Marian Hossa, Mikael Samulleson, and Jiri Hudler). Most people say that Hossa was the biggest loss, because he wasthe best of the three, but I look at it like this. We won the cup in 2008 without Marian Hossa. He may be good, but the guys who make the Red Wings the way they are is the role players (Hudler, Samulleson). In the 2008 finals they both had a game winning goal, and Hossa did not have one in the 08, or 09 finals. All Im saying is that it was bigger that we lost them, than Hossa. If the Wings don't win the division, or even the Conference, it won't be huge. As long as they make the playoffs, and have a good offdeason next year, they will be fine.