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Detroit Red Wings
Overall: 2
Central Division: 1
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| No Scotty? No third Cup for Yzerman (19) and Co. (Lou Capozzola) |
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Where
is he? Where is that meticulous, controlling, gnomelike
genius who has guided the Red Wings to two straight Stanley
Cups? Where is Scotty
Bowman?
For the first time in six seasons the Red Wings don't have
Bowman patrolling Joe Louis Arena. Bowman, 65, needed
surgery to clear a blocked artery in July, then had his
chronically ailing left knee replaced in August. Next week,
when the Wings raise
another championship banner, he will not be behind the bench.
"It's a real void," says Red Wings general
manager Ken Holland. "Scotty gets involved in
everything. When he's here, everyone knows he's here. Now
that he's not, we miss
him."
That hollow feeling is something the Wings had better get
used to. They're optimistic that Bowman, who has yet to
announce when, or if, he'll return, will be back by
midseason. They shouldn't count on it. Our bet is that
we've seen the last of hockey's
greatest coach, which is why Detroit will fail to defend the
Cup.
For now, Barry Smith and Dave Lewis are serving as
co-coaches, and because they're both savvy and helped mold
the team throughout Bowman's regime, the strange
arrangement shouldn't hurt the team too much. No slight to
either coach, but this veteran club
would have a good regular season under Wayne Fontes.
Picture the pregame strategy
session.
Smith: "You know, Dave, I think we should give Sergei
Fedorov and Steve
Yzerman a lot of ice time
tonight."
Lewis: "Great thinking, Barry. Let's do
it!"
Detroit's entire cast of fabulous forwards is back, and the
defense is also in fine shape. "We're just trying to
give the players the type of preparation they'd have if
Scotty were here," says Smith. "We'd like to
provide his intensity and his attention
to detail, but you can't emulate the
man."
No, and without him the Wings won't emulate their recent
past.
—By Kostya Kennedy
Fast Fact
The 1997-98 Red Wings were the first team in three seasons
to neither win nor lose in overtime. Their record in
extra-session games was
0-0-15.
Keys To Success
- With the return of ailing coach Scotty Bowman doubtful,
assistants Barry Smith and Dave Lewis must assert their authority
early and gain the players' respect.
- The Wings' scrappy forwards must maintain their hard edge if
Detroit is to contend for a third straight Cup.
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