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The Red Wings finally got some much needed rest after playing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. The defending Western Conference champs bowed out in the Western Conference semi-finals to the San Jose Sharks. Injuries took a toll on the team as Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary and Henrik Zetterberg all missed time during the season. Leading scorers Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk both had 70 points, well below the standards they have set.
The six-time Norris Trophy winner Niklas Lidstrom also had a down offensive year as he failed to score double digit goals (nine goals last season) for the first time in six seasons and wasn`t even invited to the award ceremony. The Red Wings severely missed hard hitting Niklas Kronwall who was limited to only 48 games due to an MCL injury.
The biggest positive to come out of last season was the development of goaltending Jimmy Howard. After four seasons in the AHL, the 25-year-old rookie finally got his chance to shine ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Matt Sitkoff