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On Thursday night the Detroit Red Wings managed to pull off a feat that no other defending Stanley Cup champion teams were able to do in the last seven years.
The Wings who finished second with 112 points in the Western Conference became the first defending Stanley Cup champions in nine seasons to advance beyond the first round when they completed a four game sweep last Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The last championship team to get beyond the opening round were the 2002 Colorado Avalanche who ended up losing in an intense Western Conference finals against the Detroit Red Wings.
“We’re not going to have a parade, but we feel good about it,” Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. “Make no mistake, the reason no one has done it in such a long time is because it’s difficult. After you win the Cup, you play with a target on your back.”
With the sweep Detroit will have an approximate seven days off before they start the second round against either the Vancouver Canucks or Anaheim Ducks.
“Suddenly, you’ve only got eight teams,” Babcock said following the Wings first round victory. “Our fans in Detroit, they expect a lot more. But to me you’ve already taken a significant step.”
After an off day on Friday, the Wings will get back at it with practice on Saturday.
After 2002 the Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and the Anaheim Ducks were defending champions to not be around come the second round.
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