tbone413 said:
Obviously they don't technically have to win on the road but if the wings have to go to game 7 every round they are not going to win the Cup. The playoffs are a different animal, a team WILL come in and win atleast one game at the Joe- then the wing will have to dig in and win on the road (something they haven't been very good at this season).
Of course it's an advantage to get home ice throughout the playoffs but it's not worth a damn if the Wings wear themselves out trying to accomplish it. All it takes is one fluke win at the Joe and all that hard work to get home ice advantage is thrown out the window.
Firstly, there really isn't an guarantee that we will lose at home in the playoffs. 23 in a row, and with top teams sprinkled in. That is more wins than it takes to win the Cup (16). Now, there's no guarantee we win them all either, but certainly the odds will always be in our favor at home.
Second, I think you are overstating the "toll" it would take to get the top seed. Our guys are going to be played the same minutes and get the same injuries either way. It's not like Babcock is resting healthy players every other game. If you're healthy, you play, and you play according to your role. The only realistic idea might be that it takes a mental toll always striving for a fluid goal. But this is a veteran team with guys who have won it it, won the Pres Trophy, and know how to set their priorities. Mental fatigue should not be an issue.
And finally, we aren't terrible on the road. We are worse, for sure. But we are basically a 50-50 proposition on the road. That means we would probably win one of three games on the road if it went that far. So we wouldn't necessarily be going all 7 every series. If we win one on the road early, the series probably only goes 5 games. If we don't, 6 or 7. The average series in the NHL is not a sweep. We are more likely to win in 5 or 6 than 7, which is likely to be right in line with every other team we would face going forward.
Home ice advantage is huge for us, moreso than any other team. We should hope we get the record to have it. Getting it or not won't be about expending extra energy or not. We are going to do what we do regardless, we just hope now.