Normally in the playoffs, even if a sweep occurs, both teams make the series close by by playing tight games. But the Detroit Red Wings absolutely dominated the Colorado Avalanche in their second round series en route to a commanding four-game sweep.

With players such as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Dominik Hasek, it’s no wonder why the Red Wings are a team that is poised to make a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. In their round two match-up with the Avalanche, Detroit benched Hasek while it was Johan Franzen, and not Datsyuk or Zetterberg, who was the MVP for Detroit.

Franzen recorded two hat tricks against the Avalanche and now has 11 goals in the playoffs. He recoded nine goals against Colorado alone, which broke a record set by the legendary Gordie Howe in 1949. In 1949, Howe set a Detroit record with eight playoff goals in one series, but the record book will now have Franzen holding the record.

The Wings also got plenty of support from Datsyuk and Zetterberg. They combined for eight goals and 11 assists (19 points) in four games. How can any team possibly stop these two? Now throw in Franzen, and the Red Wings have the best offense of the remaining playoff teams.

Chris Osgood is 35 years old, and at an age when most goaltenders are either already serving as back-ups or in serious decline decline, but he is playing like a 25-year old with fresh legs and great vision. Osgood knows how to handle the pressures of playoff hockey, and it has showed against Colorado. He was a perfect 4-0 and allowed only nine goals in those four games. Osgood will be a major factor in how far Detroit goes, and if he keeps playing this way, Detroit will be in very good shape.

The old saying in hockey is that defense wins championships. Detroit’s defense has been spectacular in round two. Every time Detroit would get the lead, their defense was a shutdown unit that not even the Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, or 80s would be able to crack.

So what was the reason that Detroit dominated? Was it the offense that scored 21 goals or the defense that allowed only nine goals? Or perhaps it was the play of Osgood that was the key to Detroit's success? Actually, it was a combination of all three factors, plus the Wings' sensational depth: twenty players have suited up for Detroit in these playoffs and all but one has recorded a point.

The Wings are poised for the Western Conference finals and will face either the Dallas Stars or San Jose Sharks. If they can get by either one of those teams, then the Red Wings will be back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2002.