Will Seven-Year Itch Doom Babcock, Red Wings?

It’s hockey season in Detroit again. Time to put up with another 82-game grind. In our self-ascribed “Hockeytown,” it’s considered par, not impolite, to look past the months of October through March so that we can worry about playoff match-ups.The 82-game regular season is something we tolerate. It’s a longer opening act than a bad comedian.We actually had to pay attention, a little, to the regular season two years ago, when the calendar turned to 2010 and the Red Wings were still monkeying around, trying to secure a playoff spot. But that drama was short-lived and by the end of February, order was restored as the Red Wings distanced themselves from the bottom feeders.It’s never a matter of if the Red Wings will make the playoffs. It’s, “How far will they go?”The 2011-12 season is just underway, but I submit that this campaign might, just might, provide a legitimate sidebar.Mike Babcock, the steel-jawed, facially scarred coach, is into his seventh season helming the Red Wings. Yes, ...