Red Wings vs. Ducks
Detroit -120 vs. Anaheim
The defending Stanley Cup Champions have already had a tough road in the early part of the season. Detroit (7-1-1) has lost numerous players for extended periods of time in the young season, but it has not stopped them from getting off to their usual fast start. Now they will have to do without Johan Franzen for three to four weeks due to an aggravated knee injury remaining from last year's Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings have the third most points in the league and have only one loss in regulation on the season and that was the first game of the season against the Maple Leafs. Since then they have only lost one game in overtime and have won every other game in regulation or shootout.
Meanwhile the team that Detroit unseated as cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks, have had a tough time this season until their recent road trip. During their invasion of Canada and Columbus the Ducks flew high winning all four games. This helped even the Ducks record at 5-5-0.
The Wings and the Ducks, winners of the last two Stanley Cups meet in Anaheim as the Ducks come home and the Red Wings continue their five game western trip that took them to Chicago and Los Angeles, now Anaheim and will conclude with a trip to the Western Conference leader Sharks in San Jose and a game in Vancouver before finally heading home.
The Ducks may wish they could stay on the road a little while longer, their success there is as puzzling as their inability to win at home (1-3). Meanwhile the NHL's best road team comes calling as the Detroit Red Wings look to stay perfect on the road (5-0-0)
The typically defensive minded Wings are one of the top scoring teams in the NFL, with 35 goals. But seven of their last nine games have been decided by one goal with many of those going to overtime and shootout.
Goalie Jean-Sebastian Gigure continues to improve as his team improves. In the Ducks last game, a 3-2 to victory Monday in Columbus, Giguere made 30 saves and lowered his goals against to a more respectable 2.86. Detroit net minder Chris Osgood had a sluggish start, but has steadily improved as well. The veteran is now 4-1-1 in his six games played this season with a 3.13 GAA, although he has risen to the occasion against Anaheim, boasting a 12-3-0 record with a pair of ties and a 2.50 GAA in 17 games versus the Ducks.
Last season the Western Conference rivals split their four game series with each team winning once on each other's home ice.
