Red Wings' ascent amazes critics

So much for a transition year.

The offseason brought a bit more change than usual in the Red Wings dressing room. Chris Osgood, Brian Rafalski and Kris Draper were out. Ian White, Jakub Kindl, Ty Conklin and Mike Commodore were in.

The Red Wings are used to observers forecasting the beginning of their decline, as many have — amid no small amount of wishful thinking — for 15 years.

But that is not going to happen this season either, as the Red Wings made clear in 50 games before the All-Star break, compiling the best mark in the NHL (33-16-1). Unless their performance in the last 32 varies markedly, the Red Wings are poised to finish the regular season as one of the best teams in the game, with several teams in the West playing about as well.

At the break, the Red Wings boast the most points (67), with the sixth-lowest goals against (117) and the fourth-highest goals scored (160).

Much has gone well. But the biggest improvement is team defense, especially in their own zone. It encourages the belief the Red Wings will play deeper into the playoffs, when defending well is essential.

That improvement helps Jimmy Howard, who also has enhanced his game. More focused and confident, Howard is now among the premier goaltenders in the game. He is on pace to break Martin Brodeur's record for wins (48) in a season.

For the Red Wings, talent abounds. And two other performances have been crucial.

Pavel Datsyuk, who is emerging as arguably the best player in the game, criticized himself publicly and then elevated his play to help jump-start the Red Wings season.

And, the Red Wings never have missed the playoffs with Nicklas Lidstrom on the roster, and the legendary defenseman shows scant evidence of slowing, despite turning 42 in three months. He leads the top-scoring defensive corps in the NHL.

While the Red Wings have depth, they also have $5.7 million in space under the salary cap to add another sniper, or some grit, next month. Who knows? Maybe Ken Holland and a vaunted scouting staff can snare someone who provides a mix of both.

Rocky start

Early, the Red Wings tolerated a bizarre six-game losing streak when, despite their considerable offensive talent, they scored an average of one goal. Around the dressing room, they were plainly flummoxed.

But they emerged and immediately began the longest home winning streak in the NHL in 35 years (17 heading into the break).

The Red Wings brass identified production from the middle of the lineup as a challenge. But so far, Valtteri Filppula (15 goals, 39 points) and Jiri Hudler (15 goals, 32 points) have answered the call.

And, Niklas Kronwall and Ian White are marshaling their best offensive seasons, fueling a torrid scoring pace from the blue line.

At one juncture, the third and fourth lines carried the Red Wings through a tough streak of wins with their scoring punch, while the brighter stars got their acts together.

Critics assert the Red Wings are not tough enough. But they keep proving them wrong. Their game against the Blues Monday was only the most recent example of how toughness is measured in the NHL — and that they measure up.

Sensing the need to freshen things after they were eliminated by the Sharks in the second round of the playoffs in 2010 and 2011, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock brought in two new assistants during the offseason. The coaches then tweaked the defensive schemes. Along with Howard's continuously stellar play, the adjustments paid off. The Red Wings are defending better, especially in their own zone.

Then, Babcock's line-juggling left him with a top line of Datsyuk flanked by Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi.

The coach says he does not quite remember how that happened.

"I have no idea," Babcock said. "Who knows? Maybe I was mad at someone (laughing). Maybe — you know, who knows what happened? I couldn't tell you."

They are excelling, and Franzen and Bertuzzi are on pace for their best seasons as Red Wings.

Best of the West

Of the other contesting teams in the West, the Canucks and Sharks seem to have the best balance of offense and defense and the most staying power. That does not discount the Blackhawks, Blues and Predators.

And, the Blackhawks, Blues and Predators also have considerable space under the cap to make big roster moves.

In the East, the Bruins, with their speed, size, transition game, goaltending and defense, may have the best chance to repeat since the Red Wings did it 14 years ago. But when Detroit visited Boston for what some veteran NHL observers say was the best regular-season game in recent memory, the Red Wings prevailed 3-2, ending the Bruins' 10-game winning streak.

As is always the case, the goal for the Red Wings the next two months is to provide themselves with the easiest route through the playoffs. That begins with achieving home-ice advantage.

Road woes

A concern for the Red Wings is a limp road record, at 13-14. But while the Red Wings certainly will need to win on the road in the playoffs to earn their 12th Stanley Cup, they also need to maintain their level of play against lesser teams. Weak efforts against the Islanders and Canadiens recently deprived the Red Wings of four points, which would have given them a six-point cushion in the conference and division at the break.

And, despite generally strong play in other areas, Henrik Zetterberg is well off his usual scoring pace.

After seasons of 39, 33, 43 and 31 goals beginning in 2005-06, Zetterberg had 23 and 24 the past two seasons. He is on pace for 15 this year.

Especially with all he does beyond scoring, Zetterberg plainly is due to have more puck luck. Always among the NHL leaders in shots, it seems to be far more a matter of shots going wide or high, clanging off posts or crossbars and being fired directly at goalies, rather than any loss of competitiveness due to injury, fatigue or age.

Zetterberg is due to bust out. Even if that does not happen until the playoffs, it would be a significant boost for the Red Wings.

gregg.krupa@detnews.com