DETROIT (AP) — Red Wings general manager Ken Holland says the nucleus of his team can compete with the best.
Detroit has played in 20 straight NHL postseasons, the longest active streak in sports, and another trip to the playoffs next spring would break a team record. The Red Wings have earned at least 100 points in a league-record 11 straight seasons and won the Central Division in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Nicklas Lidstrom’s decision to put retirement on hold after winning his seventh Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman seems to give the storied franchise a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup for a fifth time since 1997. Forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, in the prime of their careers, should help Detroit make another run at the playoffs.
