{"id":52003,"date":"2019-07-25T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=52003"},"modified":"2019-07-25T14:45:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T18:45:41","slug":"detroit-red-wings-biggest-game-in-franchise-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2019\/07\/25\/detroit-red-wings-biggest-game-in-franchise-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Red Wings Biggest Game in Franchise History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to Last Word on Hockey\u2019s summer series where we look at the biggest game in team history. Each day we will be back with a new team to look at. Looking at things like the lead-up, what happened, followed, and why it makes it the biggest game. The biggest game does not automatically mean a win, either. Sometimes, it can be a loss that set the franchise back massively. Sit back and enjoy as we break down all 31 team\u2019s most important game. This is the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> biggest game in franchise history.\u00a0The full series is found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Detroit Red Wings Biggest Game in Franchise History<\/h2>\n

The Detroit Red Wings were a powerhouse and won Stanley Cups throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s. However, the franchise hit a rough patch. They went through something called the “Dead Wings” era from the start of expansion in 1967 until the early 80s.<\/p>\n

Fortunes improved when pizza magnate Mike Illitch<\/strong> bought the club in 1982 and Steve Yzerman<\/a><\/strong> was drafted in 1983. Detroit slowly built a winner and added Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman<\/strong> to the mix, but never seemed to make any headway in the post-season.<\/p>\n

The Red Wings finally reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1995 but were swept by the New Jersey Devils<\/a>. They won 62 games the next season but were dumped out of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche<\/a>. Detroit would finally put it all together after getting Brendan Shanahan<\/a><\/strong> and Larry Murphy<\/a><\/strong> to compliment Yzerman and “The Russian Five.” The Red Wings coronation would finally happen during Game 4 of the 1997 Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Leading up to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final<\/h2>\n

Detroit would beat the rival St. Louis Blues<\/a> in six games as Mike Vernon<\/a> <\/strong>would set the tone by giving up only one goal in the first two games. The Red Wings would then dispatch the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim<\/a> in four straight games to set up a showdown with the rival Avalanche.<\/p>\n

Vernon’s stellar play in goal helped the Red Wings take three in a row after dropping Game 1 in Denver. Detroit pounded Colorado 6-0 in Game 4 only for Colorado to return the favour in Game 5. Goals by Sergei Fedorov<\/a>, Martin Lapointe<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>and Shanahan seal the series and a matchup with the Flyers.<\/p>\n

The Red Wings established their dominance early with a pair of 4-2 wins at CoreState Center in Philadelphia. Detroit then put on an offensive show in Game 3 with a 6-1 drubbing of Philadelphia. Lapointe and Fedorov each scored twice to set up the clinching game at Joe Louis Arena.<\/p>\n

June 7, 1997: Stanley Cup Final Game 4<\/h2>\n

The fans at “The Joe” could just about taste the end of their 42-year title drought. Even longtime announcer Bruce Martyn<\/strong> was brought back to call a part of the game on the radio with Ken Kal<\/strong>. Martyn had been the voice of the team through the teams lean years.<\/p>\n

Nicklas Lidstrom<\/a><\/strong> broke the tension in the first period by scoring with only 33 seconds left in the period. Tomas Sandstrom<\/a><\/strong> had a goal disallowed just over midway through the second period that would have given the Red Wings a two-goal lead. However, it only set up for one of the most iconic playoff goals in recent memory.<\/p>\n

Checking forward Darren McCarty<\/a><\/strong> got a pass from Sandstrom in the neutral zone. McCarty took the puck and deked around Flyers rookie defenceman Janne Niinimaa<\/a>.<\/strong> The Burnaby, British Columbia native put the finishing touches only a goal that would make Mario Lemieux<\/a><\/strong> proud by getting Philadelphia goalie Ron Hextall<\/a><\/strong> to commit and then sliding the puck past him.<\/p>\n