Pat Caputo: Natural Opening-Round Fear Aside, The Red Wings Should Roll Over The Coyotes
The Red Wings of the last two decades have not only been characterized by their Stanley Cup championships, but also their playoff failures.
Since 1997, the Red Wings have won four Stanley Cup championships — more than any other National Hockey League team.
As sweet as the celebrations were after each of those titles, there was equal disappointment following the two times the Red Wings, as prohibitive favorites, were knocked out during the opening round of the playoffs.
In 2003, as a No. 2 seed, the Red Wings were destroyed by the then-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who were led at the time by Detroit's current coach, Mike Babcock.
