2005–06 Detroit Red Wings season


The 2005–06 Detroit Red Wings season was the 80th National Hockey League season in Detroit, Michigan. The Wings once again found themselves having the best regular season record, scoring 124 points for the second-highest point total in franchise history.
The Red Wings began the season with a conflict in goal as recent pickup Chris Osgood was injured in preseason activities and unproven Manny Legace was to start in goal. Legace played great, winning 10 of his first 11 games, and quickly earned the starting goaltender job. The Red Wings decided to start Legace in the playoffs but his inexperience quickly showed and Detroit was knocked out in the first round by the Edmonton Oilers.
Detroit defenseman, Jiri Fischer, suffered a cardiac arrest in the first period of a game against the Nashville Predators on November 21. The game was stopped and eventually called as many fans in Joe Louis Arena either could not see what was going on or looked on in horror. Fischer was given CPR on the Wings' bench and then carried out on a stretcher. Nashville had a 1–0 lead within the game and it was decided that the score would be added onto the rescheduled game later in the season.
The Red Wings sold out all 41 home games in 2005–06, as 20,066 fans packed Joe Louis Arena for every regular season and playoff game played in Detroit.
There was no All-Star Game this year as the Winter Olympics in Turin took place in February 2006, where nine Red Wings players represented their countries. Kris Draper represented Canada, Chris Chelios represented the United States, Robert Lang represented the Czech Republic, Pavel Datsyuk represented Russia, and Nicklas Lidstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom represented Sweden. Team Canada Head Coach Wayne Gretzky told Steve Yzerman it was his decision as to whether he wanted to play in the 2006 Olympics. Citing his age and playing ability, Yzerman bowed out to give up his roster spot to a "more deserving player."
Sweden won the gold medal in ice hockey, as all three goals scored in the gold medal game were by Red Wing players. Red Wings' Head Coach Mike Babcock decided to give the five gold medal winners from Detroit time to return to Sweden to celebrate. They only missed one game, February 28 against the San Jose Sharks. In that game, Detroit suffered their worst loss of the season, losing by four goals.
For the first time in 10 years, Detroit was not shut out in any of their 82 regular season games. Offensively, Detroit trailed only the Ottawa Senators in scoring and shots on goal, with 301 goals and 2,796 shots, respectively. Furthermore, for the first time since the 1992–93 season, the Red Wings scored more than 100 power play goals during the regular season, this time with 102.
Defensively, the Red Wings finished second in most shutouts for, with nine and allowed only 206 goals, good enough for third overall.

Regular season

The Red Wings finished the regular season with the League's best power-play percentage, at 22.13%.

Season standings

For complete final standings, see 2005–06 NHL season

Schedule and results

October

Record: 11–1–0; Home: 5–1–0; Road: 6–0–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
1October 5St. Louis1 – 5DetroitLegace20,0661–0–02
2October 6Detroit4 – 3St. LouisLegace15,3182–0–04
3October 9Calgary3 – 6DetroitLegace20,0663–0–06
4October 10Vancouver4 – 2DetroitLegace20,0663–1–06
5October 13Detroit5 – 2Los AngelesLegace18,1184–1–08
6October 15Detroit2 – 0PhoenixLegace17,7995–1–010
7October 17San Jose2 – 3DetroitOTLegace20,0666–1–012
8October 21Anaheim2 – 3DetroitLegace20,0667–1–014
9October 22Detroit6 – 0ColumbusLegace18,1368–1–016
10October 24Detroit6 – 2ColumbusLegace16,0989–1–018
11October 27Chicago2 – 5DetroitLegace20,06610–1–020
12October 29Detroit4 – 2ChicagoOsgood20,65811–1–022

November

Record: 7–5–2; Home: 4–2–1; Road: 3–3–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
13November 1Chicago1 – 4DetroitOsgood20,06612–1–024
14November 3Edmonton4 – 3DetroitOTOsgood20,06612–1–125
15November 5Phoenix4 – 1DetroitOsgood20,06612–2–125
16November 6Detroit4 – 1St. LouisOsgood13,21113–2–127
17November 9Los Angeles5 – 4DetroitOTLegace20,06614–2–129
18November 11Minnesota1 – 3DetroitLegace20,06615–2–131
19November 13Detroit1 – 4VancouverLegace18,63015–3–131
20November 16Detroit1 – 3CalgaryLegace19,28915–4–131
21November 17Detroit5 – 6EdmontonOTOsgood20,06615–4–232
22November 19St. Louis3 – 2DetroitLegace20,06615–5–232
November 21NashvillePPD†DetroitLegace20,066
23November 23Colorado3 – 7DetroitLegace20,06616–5–234
24November 25Detroit1 – 3AnaheimOsgood17,17416–6–234
25November 26Detroit7 – 6San JoseOsgood17,49617–6–236
26November 28Detroit5 – 2Los AngelesHoward18,11818–6–238

† Game was cancelled with 7:31 left in the first period after Jiri Fischer suffered heart failure on the bench. Nashville was ahead 1–0 and the score would be added to a January 23 rescheduled game. Fischer was tended to and would soon after retire due to an enlarged heart and complications resulting thereof. He currently is director of player development for the Red Wings organization.

December

Record: 8–3–1; Home: 4–2–0; Road: 4–1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
27December 1Calgary3 – 2DetroitHoward20,06618–7–238
28December 4NY Islanders2 – 1DetroitHoward20,06618–8–238
29December 6New Jersey2 – 5DetroitOsgood20,06619–8–240
30December 9Detroit4 – 3WashingtonOsgood18,27720–8–242
31December 12Pittsburgh1 – 3DetroitOsgood20,06621–8–244
32December 13Detroit6 – 7AtlantaOsgood17,55921–9–244
33December 15Detroit2 – 3FloridaOTOsgood17,71621–9–345
34December 17Detroit6 – 3Tampa BayOsgood21,20422–9–347
35December 20Columbus3 – 4DetroitSOOsgood20,06623–9–349
36December 23Detroit3 – 2ChicagoOTOsgood20,54324–9–351
37December 27Detroit4 – 1DallasOsgood18,58425–9–353
38December 31Columbus2 – 3DetroitOTOsgood20,06626–9–355

January

Record: 8–4–2; Home: 4–3–1; Road: 4–1–1
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
39January 3Minnesota4 – 2DetroitOsgood20,06626–10–355
40January 5St. Louis0 – 3DetroitLegace20,06627–10–357
41January 6Detroit3 – 1NashvilleLegace17,11328–10–359
42January 8Dallas6 – 3DetroitOsgood20,06628–11–359
43January 10Detroit2 – 3CarolinaLegace18,73028–12–359
44January 12Philadelphia3 – 6DetroitLegace20,06629–12–361
45January 14NY Rangers3 – 4DetroitLegace20,06630–12–363
46January 18Detroit4 – 0ColumbusOsgood17,08931–12–365
47January 21Detroit4 – 3ColoradoLegace18,00732–12–367
48January 23†Nashville3 – 2DetroitLegace20,06632–13–367
49January 24Nashville2 – 1DetroitOTLegace20,06632–13–467
50January 26Vancouver1 – 2DetroitLegace20,06633–13–469
51January 28Detroit1 – 2DallasSOLegace18,58433–13–571
52January 30Detroit5 – 4MinnesotaLegace18,56834–13–573

†Makeup date for the November 21st game that was postponed. Nashville started the game with a 1–0 lead.

February

Record: 5–1–0; Home: 3–0–0; Road: 2–1–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
53February 1St. Louis2 – 3DetroitLegace20,06635–13–575
54February 4Detroit3 – 0ColoradoLegace18,00736–13–577
55February 8Nashville0 – 6DetroitLegace20,06637–13–579
56February 9Detroit3 – 2NashvilleLegace17,11338–13–581
57February 12Colorado3 – 6DetroitLegace20,06639–13–583
58February 28Detroit1 – 5San JoseLegace17,49639–14–583

March

Record: 11–1–3; Home: 4–1–3; Road: 7–0–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
59March 1Detroit2 – 0AnaheimOsgood16,60640–14–585
60March 4Detroit7 – 3PhoenixLegace18,61941–14–587
61March 7Phoenix5 – 2DetroitLegace20,06641–15–589
62March 9Los Angeles3 – 7DetroitLegace20,06642–15–589
63March 11Chicago4 – 6DetroitLegace20,06643–15–591
64March 12Detroit5 – 3ChicagoOsgood19,13644–15–593
65March 15Anaheim1 – 3DetroitOsgood20,06645–15–595
66March 18Detroit4 – 3EdmontonSOLegace16,83946–15–597
67March 19Detroit7 – 3VancouverOsgood18,63047–15–599
68March 21Nashville3 – 2DetroitSOLegace20,06647–15–6100
69March 23San Jose0 – 4DetroitLegace20,06648–15–6102
70March 25Columbus5 – 4DetroitSOOsgood20,06648–15–7103
71March 27Detroit4 – 1St. LouisLegace12,83449–15–7105
72March 30Detroit4 – 2NashvilleLegace16,57050–15–7107
73March 31Chicago3 – 2DetroitOTOsgood20,06650–15–8108

April

Record: 8–1–0; Home: 3–0–0; Road: 5–1–0
#DateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceRecordPts
74April 2Detroit3 – 2MinnesotaLegace18,56851–15–8110
75April 3Detroit2 – 1CalgarySOOsgood19,28952–15–8112
76April 7Columbus6 – 5DetroitSOLegace20,06653–15–8114
77April 8Detroit4 – 2ColumbusOsgood18,13654–15–8116
78April 11Edmonton0 – 2DetroitLegace20,06655–15–8118
79April 13Detroit7 – 3ChicagoLegace15,11756–15–8120
80April 15Detroit3 – 2St. LouisOsgood16,09457–15–8122
81April 17Dallas2 – 3DetroitLegace20,06658–15–8124
82April 18Detroit3 – 6NashvilleOsgood17,11358–16–8124

The Detroit Red Wings ended the 2005–06 regular season as the Western Conference's first seed and played Edmonton in the first round. Edmonton would go on to defeat Detroit and reach the Stanley Cup Finals, losing in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Western Conference Quarter-finals: vs. (8) [Edmonton Oilers]

Edmonton wins series 4–2
GameDateVisitorScoreHomeOTDecisionAttendanceSeries
1April 21Edmonton2 – 3DetroitOTLegace20,0661 – 0
2April 23Edmonton4 – 2DetroitLegace20,0661 – 1
3April 25Detroit3 – 4EdmontonOTLegace16,8391 – 2
4April 27Detroit4 – 2EdmontonLegace16,8392 – 2
5April 29Edmonton3 – 2DetroitLegace20,0662 – 3
6May 1Detroit3 – 4EdmontonLegace16,8392 – 4

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
*Stats reflect games played with Detroit only.

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Awards and records

Trophies and awards

Milestones

recorded his 600th career assist on March 7, 2006.

Transactions

The Red Wings were involved in the following transactions during the 2005–06 season.

Trades

Free agents

Draft picks

As there was no 2004–05 season to set the order for the draft, a lottery was held in which teams were assigned a number of balls, between one and three, based on the number of playoff appearances the team had had in the past three seasons. As the Red Wings had made the playoffs three consecutive seasons, they were given only one ball in the lottery. The Red Wings ended up with the 19th overall pick.
Detroit's picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario:
Round#PlayerNationalityCollege/Junior/Club Team
119Jakub Kindl Kitchener Rangers
242Justin Abdelkader Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
380Christofer Lofberg Djurgardens IF
4103Mattias Ritola Leksands IF Jr.
5132Darren Helm Medicine Hat Tigers
5137Johan Ryno Kumla Jr.
5151Jeff MayPrince Albert Raiders
6175Juho MielonenIlves
7214Bretton StamlerSeattle Thunderbirds

Farm teams

Grand Rapids Griffins

The Griffins were Detroit's top affiliate in the American Hockey League in 2005–06.

Toledo Storm

The Storm were the Red Wings' ECHL affiliate for the 2005–06 season.
Two players were signed to short deals from the storm this year including, G. Moore Sr. And A. McCarthy. Neither of which saw playing time.