From April 2008: On the Impact of Brian Rafalski for the Detroit Red Wings blue line
From April 2008: On the Impact of Brian Rafalski for the Detroit Red Wings blue line
From the THN Archive: April 8, 2008 / Vol. 61, Issue 24 by Ansar Khan
THE DETROIT RED WINGS were short two good-sized, top-six forwards last summer when Todd Bertuzzi spurned their offer of a one-year contract, after they already opted not to re-sign Robert Lang.
But a lack of size and depleted scoring depth up front isn’t what concerned them. This is a team that relies on mobile, puck-moving defensemen to generate an attack, so it was vital for the Wings to replace Mathieu Schneider after he signed with Anaheim July 1. They did so in mere hours, inking Brian Rafalski to a five-year, $30-million contract.
It was a lot of money and term to commit to a player who turned 34 last September. But to Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, there was never any doubt it was what his team needed.
“We had to have that (element),” Babcock said. “You can’t play the way we play without it, it’s impossible. He can get back and get the puck going. That’s so critical if you want to play on offense.’’
Rafalski turned out to be one of the best free agent signings of 2007. It’s as if he were tailor-made to be a Red Wing, and not just because he’s a metro Detroit native. An elite skater with great vision who can move the puck in a flash, Rafalski teamed with five-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom to form the NHL’s best blueline duo.
It took Rafalski only 54 games to eclipse his previous career-high total of nine goals; he’ll finish close to his career-high tally of 55 points, which he would have eclipsed easily if he hadn’t missed eight games with a groin strain.
Detroit went 2-5-1 without him – Lidstrom was also out for five of those games – further demonstrating his value.
“A lot of guys didn’t really know him enough when he first came here, but he’s definitely a great player,’’ said goalie Chris Osgood. “I liken him to a really smart, efficient quarterback who always makes the right pass coming out of the zone. If I have a chance, I always give him the puck because in all likelihood he’ll get it out for us and make a great play.’’
Lidstrom is impressed with Rafalski’s knack for knowing where his teammates are on the ice.
“He’s accurate with his passes, too,’’ Lidstrom said. “It’s crisp, hard passes…they really help breaking out of our own end. When you make a good first pass, you usually can skate through the neutral zone.’’
Though he flourished in New Jersey’s conservative system his first seven seasons in the league, Rafalski has relished helping lead the Wings’ freewheeling attack.
In Detroit, there’s a lot of flow. Star forwards such as Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg fly up the ice, breaking through gaps in the defense, hitting holes with speed. They need someone to pass them the puck at the exact right time.
“That’s what I consider myself best at,’’ Rafalski said. “Forwards have freedom, they’re not just stuck on the walls, how we seemed to be in Jersey.’’
Rafalski sometimes has trouble in making the transition from offense to defense, but he compensates with his great mobility.
Size has also been an issue for him throughout his career, probably the reason he wasn’t drafted after graduating from the University of Wisconsin.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Rafalski is smaller than the average defenseman, but Osgood noted: “He’s got a huge lower body, you don’t see him get bumped off the puck very often if he’s fighting with somebody to get it out of the zone.’’
With a pair of Stanley Cup rings, Rafalski knows what it takes to win a championship.
And the Wings realize their title dreams are a lot more realistic with Rafalski in the fold.
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