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Wings-Avs rivalry renewed
By Jim Ryan
Monday, April 28, 2008 11:31 AM EDT
The Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche have met in the NHL postseason in six of the last twelve years. This week marks the beginning of the Western Conference Semi-Finals and it would be a disappointment if the matchup was anything but Wings-Avalanche.
The two franchises have made quite a history together. When you think of the playoffs, you immediately think of rivalries, and when you think of rivalries than you think of these two teams. Prior meetings in the postseason might as well have been considered on-ice boxing matches. You don't even know hockey fights until you've seen goalies Mike Vernon and Patrick Roy square off in the 1997 playoffs, or Roy drop the gloves with current Wings goaltender Chris Osgood the following year.
To represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals in June you almost always have to go through Detroit or Colorado. In only one out of the last twelve years one of the teams has not made it to the postseason, for the Avalanche missed the playoffs by a single point last winter.
Five times in the last twelve years either the Wings or Avalanche has had the honor of being named the Stanley Cup Champions. The fiercest moments in their rivalry came during the 1997-1998 seasons. They were the two best hockey teams in the NHL, and were willing to do anything to advance to the next round. There were countless fights and brawls, not to mention amazing displays of hockey talent. Any real hockey fan can remember the dirty check Claude Lemieux put on Kris Draper in the 95-96 playoffs. Draper was right in front of his bench digging for the puck when Lemieux came flying in and crunched him from behind. This is one of the dirtiest plays possible in hockey and made the stadium erupt into a frenzy.
As many NHL analysts have pointed out over the years, the Wings-Avalanche rivalry in one of the best in pro sports today. The one thing that makes the rivalry so intense is the piece of hardware the teams are fighting for. The Stanley Cup is the most coveted trophy in the entire sporting world. The Western Conference Semi-Finals start this week and this series is this years' most anticipated. There will surely be some moments worth remembering in this series.
The two franchises have made quite a history together. When you think of the playoffs, you immediately think of rivalries, and when you think of rivalries than you think of these two teams. Prior meetings in the postseason might as well have been considered on-ice boxing matches. You don't even know hockey fights until you've seen goalies Mike Vernon and Patrick Roy square off in the 1997 playoffs, or Roy drop the gloves with current Wings goaltender Chris Osgood the following year.
To represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals in June you almost always have to go through Detroit or Colorado. In only one out of the last twelve years one of the teams has not made it to the postseason, for the Avalanche missed the playoffs by a single point last winter.
Five times in the last twelve years either the Wings or Avalanche has had the honor of being named the Stanley Cup Champions. The fiercest moments in their rivalry came during the 1997-1998 seasons. They were the two best hockey teams in the NHL, and were willing to do anything to advance to the next round. There were countless fights and brawls, not to mention amazing displays of hockey talent. Any real hockey fan can remember the dirty check Claude Lemieux put on Kris Draper in the 95-96 playoffs. Draper was right in front of his bench digging for the puck when Lemieux came flying in and crunched him from behind. This is one of the dirtiest plays possible in hockey and made the stadium erupt into a frenzy.
As many NHL analysts have pointed out over the years, the Wings-Avalanche rivalry in one of the best in pro sports today. The one thing that makes the rivalry so intense is the piece of hardware the teams are fighting for. The Stanley Cup is the most coveted trophy in the entire sporting world. The Western Conference Semi-Finals start this week and this series is this years' most anticipated. There will surely be some moments worth remembering in this series.
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Jim Ryan is a freshman at Gaylord High School. He writes a weekly blog at www.heraldtimes.com.
2 comment(s)
opsryushi wrote on May 5, 2008 11:24 PM:
" Though I generally don't have a whole lot of interest in, nor do I pretend to know anything about, professional (or any other type of) sports, I enjoy reading your blog, Mr. Ryan. You are consistently well-spoken and obviously very informed on the subjects you write about. You have a very unique skill, don't let it escape you. A good sense of communication is one of the fastest and most effective ways to impress job interviewers, and if you're looking at going into journalism, then buddy, you've already got your start. Best of luck. "
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justintime wrote on May 13, 2008 10:39 AM: