Even at the age of 35, Brian Rafalski is still getting better, statistically speaking anyway, as his points-per-game and points-per-minute have improved in each of the past five seasons. Playing alongside Nicklas Lidstrom the past two seasons certainly hasn't hurt, as the two have teamed up to form one of the most prolific defensive pairings in the NHL.
While it's true they lost some talent and production, and haven't added anything of consequence in the early stages of the offseason, it still shouldn't put much of a dent in the Red Wings' Stanley Cup chances for 2009-10.
Let's take a look at what Detroit is really losing, and what it has coming up through the Grand Rapids pipeline.
The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.
It's designed to maintain competitive balance and parity across the league, but if you waste valuable salary cap space on free agents that don't pan out or contribute the way you expected, you're pretty much stuck without a paddle because nobody is going to bail you out and take that albatross contract off your hands.
Introducing the FanHouse nominees for the Wade Redden Award for Wasted Cap Space.
In The Face-Off Circle: A game-by-game look at the face-off matchups in the Stanley Cup Final
Saturday was a rather forgettable night for the Pittsburgh Penguins, to say the least, as they were on the receiving end of a 5-0 rout at Joe Louis Arena, falling behind the Red Wings, 3-2, in the Stanley Cup Final. While Detroit didn't win the majority of the face-offs in game 5, it managed to take advantage and capitalize on the ones it did win, especially in the second period as the Penguins were in the process of self destructing with a series of penalties.
During the Penguins' game 4 win on Thursday night, captain Sidney Crosby finally had his bust-out game of the Stanley Cup Final, recording a goal (the eventual game-winner) and an assist in Pittsburgh's 4-2 win to tie the series at two games apiece. The performance helped him eclipse the 30-point mark this postseason, joining his teammate, Evgeni Malkin, who is currently the leading scorer in the playoffs with 35 points, putting the duo in some elite, historic company.
In The Face-Off Circle: A game-by-game look at the face-off's in the Stanley Cup Final
The Detroit Red Wings had their best face-off man, Kris Draper, back in the lineup for Game 4, and as a team they had their best showing since Game 1, winning 34 of 60 draws. While Draper won six of his 11, the biggest factor in the margin on Thursday night wasn't what any one individual Red Wing did, but what one individual Penguin didn't do.
One poorly-timed screen could have been costly for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Surely, defenseman Sergei Gonchar and forward Bill Guerin weren't trying to stop Marc-Andre Fleury from seeing an early second-period shot by Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart. But that's exactly what they did. The Stuart shot found the back of the Penguin net, giving Detroit a 2-1 lead and, seemingly, all the momentum.
What happened after that could turn into a defining moment for this underdog Pittsburgh team.
Penguins 4, Red Wings 2: Recap | Box Score Series tied 2-2
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a familiar situation against the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup final, down two games to none as the series shifts back to Pittsburgh, just like last year. On the plus side, at least they managed a goal (two!) in the opening two games in Motown. Here are three things to watch for in Game 3 as the Penguins attempt to claw their way back into the series.
Two years ago, a much more heralded Anaheim Ducks team took out Detroit on their way to a Stanley Cup. This time, the Ducks enter a series against the Red Wings as perhaps the most-feared eighth seed in NHL playoff history. That said, they're still an eighth seed, and a decided underdog. Is this the end of "Cinderella"?
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the deepest offensive teams in the NHL. Unfortunately for them, they don't boast similar defensive depth. Instead, they tend to lean on their puck possession and scoring to mask some flaws along the blue line and in goal.
As a result, news that veteran puck-moving defenseman Brian Rafalski will miss Game 1 of the Wings' Western Conference semifinal series against Anaheim is not good. It's not a death blow -- as an injury to Nicklas Lidstrom would be -- but it's not a good way for Detroit to start this series.
FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 45 is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski.
It's been a one-way street out of Detroit this offseason, as the Red Wings have watched 
The real NHL awards will be handed out Thursday night in Las Vegas, so FanHouse decided to hand out its own special awards for the 2008-09 season.
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the deepest offensive teams in the NHL. Unfortunately for them, they don't boast similar defensive depth. Instead, they tend to lean on their puck possession and scoring to mask some flaws along the blue line and in goal.
