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Red Wings begin quest to repeat as champions

Oct 9, 2008 - 10:07 AM Toronto (0-0-0) at Detroit (0-0-0), 7:00 pm EDT

DETROIT (Ticker) -- After hoisting the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons, the Detroit Red Wings are back for more.

Armed with newly signed offensive force Marian Hossa, the Red Wings begin the 2008-09 campaign against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday looking to become the first team to repeat as league champion since they did it themselves from 1997-98.

Prior to the game, the Red Wings will raise their championship banner to the rafters at Joe Louis Arena.

Hossa signed a discounted one-year contract with the Red Wings in the offseason after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins clinch the Eastern Conference title, only to lose to Detroit in the Stanley Cup Finals in six games.

The 29-year-old Slovakian, who notched 29 goals and 37 assists in 82 games with the Atlanta Thrashers and Penguins last season, provides more depth to perhaps the most potent offensive team in the NHL. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk combined for 74 goals, while Johan Franzen added 27 in the regular season and 13 in the playoffs.

Detroit's strength stems from the fact it is just as talented in the defensive end as it is offensively.

Captain Nicklas Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy for the sixth time in seven seasons, leaving him behind only Bobby Orr (eight) and Doug Harvey (seven) on the all-time list. Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski combined for 23 goals and 102 assists in 2007-08, giving goaltender Chris Osgood ample protection.

Osgood, 35, posted a 27-9-4 record with a league-leading 2.09 goals-against average in 43 contests last season and should receive more playing time considering future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek retired in June.

While Detroit looks to make its 18th straight trip to the postseason, Toronto enters with significantly lighter expectations.

Coming off a pedestrian campaign in which they went 36-35-11 and finished fifth in the Northeast Division, the Maple Leafs hope new coach Ron Wilson can help offset the loss of 37-year-old Mats Sundin.

Sundin, coming off another 70-plus point season, rewrote the storied franchise's record book during his 13-year tenure with the Maple Leafs. The face of the club, Sundin - an unrestricted free agent - appears closer to retirement than continuing his career with this team.

One of Toronto's lone bright spots will be goaltender Vesa Toskala, who started 66 games in 2007-08 - nearly doubling his career high. The 31-year-old Finn posted a respectable 33-25-6 record with a 2.74 GAA and three shutouts.

The Red Wings are 35-32-14 over 81 regular-season openers, while the Maple Leafs are 33-41-16 in 90 openers in their history.