It was hardly a disaster for the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Sure, two of their best players, captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Hart Trophy finalist Pavel Datsyuk, had to sit out with injuries. But the Red Wings have always been greater than the sum of their parts, and their 6-1 stomping of the Blackhawks proved that yet again.If the Red Wings are going to end the Western Conference Finals in Game 5 Wednesday night, they'll have to do it without Lidstrom and Datsyuk again.
After Wednesday's morning skate at Joe Louis Arena, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock ruled the pair out for what could be the series-clincher. Detroit leads the series 3-1, and Chicago showed such a small amount of anything positive in Sunday's game that the suspense heading into Game 5 is miniscule at best.
Lidstrom had played in 228 straight Red Wing playoff games before Sunday, so you know whatever is bothering him has to be either serious or very painful. He's not going to sit out because he has a hangnail. For that matter, neither is Datsyuk, who took a puck to his skate in Game 2 of this series and has hardly been seen since.
Anyone who doubted Detroit's ability to play without their captain and their top two-way forward was quickly quieted in Game 4, so it's up to the Blackhawks to play well enough to earn this win. No realistic amount of Detroit injuries is going to hand it to them.
If Chicago is to extend this thing to a Game 6 Saturday night, they'll need a terrific performance from goalie Cristobal Huet, who will start again in place of the injured Nikolai Khabibulin. Head coach Joel Quenneville said Khabibulin is not ready to go, though he did practice Wednesday morning. Quenneville also said forward Martin Havlat is out for this game, and Colin Fraser will skate in his place.
