The Patriots, Red Wings and Sustained Success

After the Patriots' victory in the Super Bowl last night, I found myself amazed at the organization's ability to remain successful in a league designed for parity. For 15 years this team has consistently put up 10 win seasons and contended for championships. Bill Belichick’s genius has allowed the team to consistently reload around their two pillars, Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork. As a result, while the league and the team’s roster continue to change, the Patriots remain synonymous with winning.

As I watch New England’s continued success, I can’t help but make parallels to the Detroit Red Wings current 23 season playoff streak. Despite his incredible numbers, it wasn’t until Steve Yzerman gained the Vince Wilfork (Nick Lidstrom) and Bill Belichick (Scotty Bowman) to his Tom Brady that the Red Wing dynasty truly began. With these three as the core, the Wings went on to win 3 Stanley Cups in 6 seasons. However, similar to the Patriots, Ken Holland was able to turn this immediate success into a foundation for long-term success. With tons of elite talent on the roster and the cash to buy more, management had the freedom to take gambles in the draft. They didn’t always work out, (anyone remember Ryan Barnes or Tomek Valtonen?) and of course, even Hakan Andersson didn’t know Datsyuk and Zetterberg would be superstars. However due to the star heavy roster and consistency in the front office, Holland was able to take gambles and allow these unknowns to develop at their own pace, a luxury less successful team can’t afford.

Thanks to this slow and steady development process, even before the Yzerman years had ended the Wings were able to pass the baton onto a new era of superstars. Fast forward a few years, and we find ourselves in a similar situation. Now with Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the ice and Babcock behind the bench, the team remains successful as players like Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan, Jurco, Mrazek and Ouellet are able to develop. And now over the past two seasons, we are beginning to see these players lead the transition into the next era of Red Wing hockey. After years in the minors, these young players have demonstrated they have the ability to maintain the lofty standards of the Detroit Red Wings once 13 + 40 hang up their skates. With Babcock likely to return to Detroit and even more talent (Mantha and Larkin) waiting in the pipeline, I see no reason for this playoff streak to ever end.

As the season rolls on fans cannot help but get caught up in the outcome of each and every game. We rise with the high of each win and fall with every loss. However from time to time it’s important to take a step back and recognized the rarity of this situation. A recent collage graduate has never lived through a season in which the Detroit Red Wings did not qualified for the playoffs. This season, as the team continues to defy expectations and closes in on  yet another playoff run, take a moment to stop, step back and recognize that we are watching history in the making.