DETROIT -- Detroit needed to win each of its last four games of the regular season just to get into the NHL playoffs for the 22nd straight season. After rallying from a 3-2 series deficit against Anaheim, the seventh-seeded Red Wings refused to be knocked out and credited that regular-season streak for getting them to the second round. "Those last four games really helped our team," Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We almost had a series before the post-season started." The Red Wings reward isnt much of a prize. The leagues top-seeded team, the Chicago Blackhawks, will host Game 1 on Wednesday night to start a best-of-seven series in which theyll be heavily favoured. During the regular season, Chicago beat Detroit in overtime once, twice in shootouts and added a 7-1 rout March 31 at Joe Louis Arena. "They had our number the regular season," Zetterberg said. "Its a great team. Theyre stacked with forwards. Theyre stacked in the back line. And they have a good goalie. Its going to be a tough series for us, but its going to be a fun one." Its also might be the last time the two Original Six teams play each other in the post-season for a long time. After this year, the next time they would meet in the playoffs, it would be for the Stanley Cup. The Western Conference rivals, who have split a dozen seven-game series, will be interconference foes next year because Detroit is headed to the Eastern Conference as part of the leagues realignment. The Red Wings might be able to play loose with nothing to lose because few outside of their dressing room will expect them to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2009. That year, Detroit eliminated Chicago in five games and was a win away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions. Detroit is hoping to make another run this post-season, perhaps following the path the Los Angeles Kings did last year as the first team seeded eighth to win an NHL championship. "In the league right now, any team can beat any team," Red Wings defenceman Kyle Quincey said. "We said from Day 1, we knew it would be tough to get into playoffs and we battled all the way to the end. We just said to try to get in and see what happens. We saw what LA did last year and hopefully we can keep going and give Chicago a run." Detroit did outshoot the Blackhawks in three games, and had as many shots once. But the Red Wings couldnt score a clutch goal or make one more save in regulation, overtime or shootouts to win any of them. The Red Wings, though, have evolved into a different team than the last one Chicago saw April 12 in a 3-2 shootout win at the United Center. Detroit didnt get free agent defenceman Ryan Suter or forward Zach Parise in the off-season as both signed with Minnesota. But Detroits young defencemen, being forced to play a lot without Nicklas Lidstrom on the roster, have slowly matured and its inexperienced forwards have evolved into threats to score or set up teammates for goals. Goaltender Jimmy Howard has validated the teams decision to sign him to a six-year contract extension last month by making 70 saves over the last two games against Anaheim. While Howard insisted the Red Wings believe they can play with anybody, hes also not striking a cocky tone about trying to match up with Chicago. "Were going to have our hands full, lets be honest," he said. "Theyre a very deep team at every position." Courtney Upshaw Jersey . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Jason Day only watched one hole of golf from the Olympics, but at least he picked the right hole.Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson were never separated by more than a shot in the final round until Rose made birdie on the 18th hole to win the gold medal, with Matt Kuchar making a late run for 63 and the bronze.I didnt watch any, not one shot, until the last hole, Day said Monday evening in a conference call. It was great to see Henrik and Justin duel it out. Kuch had an amazing run on the last day, and it looked like it was a very successful opening for golf to be back in the Olympics.Exciting stuff for those guys, and Im sure theyre on Cloud 9 right now heading home.Day is the No. 1 player in the world, and among the top four who chose not to go to Rio. He at least will get one chance to play for his country this year. The Australian spoke Monday evening to promote the World Cup of Golf, to be played Nov. 24-27 at Kingston Heath in Melbourne. He and Adam Scott will be back to defend their title from 2013 at Royal Melbourne.In some respects, it can help fill the void of missing out on playing for his flag.And there is part of him that is eager to see what kind of reception he gets.Day has not been back to Australia since he and Scott won the World Cup. Scott was a national hero in 2013 as the Masters champion, the first Australian in a green jacket. Day recalls waiting on a cab outside the Crown Casino when Scott walked by with his green jacket.All the cool things he got to do, go places and have certain dinners and celebrations in his name, the awards that he got, especially during the late part of the year for how well he played, it was pretty special to see, Day said.He returns as No. 1 in the world, the first Aussie to play at home as the world No. 1 since Greg Norman in 1997.Being an Australian thats been No. 1 in the world back home playing in Australia, thats a pretty cool moment to have, Day said.---OLYMPIC GOLF: Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar provided a compelling final round for golfs return to the Olympics, and it showed in the ratings.NBC and Golf Channel provided coverage of the final 1 hour, 37 minutes from Olympic Golf Course, with NBC picking up the final round when Matt Kuchar reached the 16th tee with an outside shot at winning the gold. Kuchar finished with a 63 and had to settle for a bronze. Rose and Stenson went to the final hole tied, and Rose won the gold medal with a pitch to 3 feet for the winning birdie.NBC earned a 5.6 household rating with 8.8 million average viewers during that period. It was the highest-rated 90-minute window of golf in the final round this year behind only the Masters.It was shown after synchronized swimming and before equestrian, which network officials believe attracted a younger audience and a higher percentage of women.Thats the Olympic difference.---LAST CHANCE: Rickie Fowler headed from Rio to North Carolina to play in the Wyndham Championship, mostly because there are only two weeks left to get one of the top eight qualifying spots for the Ryder Cup (hes at No. 12) and because of the FedEx Cup (hes No. 30).Thats a far better spot than some others.The Wyndham Championship ends the regular season, with the top 125 advancing to the lucrativee playoffs and, for many players, securing full cards for next season.dddddddddddd On the bubble is Whee Kim, though being at No. 125 is reason to celebrate. He was at No. 154 until a tie for third last week in the John Deere Classic.From Brett Stegmaier at No. 119 through Camilo Villegas at No. 150, only three players are not in the field at Sedgefield Country Club -- Will Wilcox (No. 136), Padraig Harrington (No. 137) and Jamie Donaldson (No. 147).Wilcox has a wrist injury and is planning to have surgery on Monday.Harrington stayed in Rio for an extra week to take in the Olympics, and his job is secure next season because he won the Honda Classic in 2015.Jimmy Walker is playing for the first time since his PGA Championship victory at Baltusrol. One noticeable absence is Russell Knox, who won the Travelers Championship two weeks ago and is No. 5 in the FedEx Cup. This was his last tournament to be eligible for Ryder Cup points, and the Scot is only 6.6 points behind the final spot in the European world points list. He now will have to hope to be a captains pick.---EUROPEAN CUT: The PGA Tour introduced a new acronym to golf -- MDF -- in 2008 with a policy to limit the field size for the final round. When more than 78 players make the cut, there is a 54-hole cut on Saturday to top 70 and ties. Those who miss that get an MDF -- made the cut, did not finish.The European Tour now is adopting a similar policy.David Garland, director of tour operations for the European Tour, said the policy would start next season. It would follow the PGA Tours model, with those being cut after Saturday when more than 78 players make it to the weekend getting last-place official money.There are a few differences. On the European Tour, the top 65 and ties advance to the weekend. And if more than 78 players make the cut, the 54-hole cut will be for top 72 and ties.---DIVOTS: If Olympic golf had included a team event by combining 72-hole scores of two players, Sweden would have won the gold at 20-under par, one shot ahead of the Americans second team (Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar). Britain (16 under) would have won the bronze by one shot over Spain. Teams would have been set before the competition instead of picking the Americans with the two highest scores. The highest-ranked Americans, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler, would have been 7 under. ... Ten players at the Rio Games are playing this week, seven in the Wyndham Champion and three on the European Tour. That includes Thomas Pieters, the defending champion at the Czech Masters. ... Miguel Angel Jimenez has lost the 54-hole lead in his last three starts on the PGA Tour Champions, including two majors. ... International Golf Federation President Peter Dawson said more tournaments could be coming to Olympic Golf Course. One is likely to be on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. Another possibility is the Latin America Amateur Championship.---STAT OF THE WEEK: Three players in the top 10 of the FedEx Cup have yet to win a tournament this year.---FINAL WORD: I feel like it resonated far wider than maybe my U.S. Open victory. -- Justin Rose after winning the gold medal in golf. Cheap Jerseys ChinaNFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Jerseys WholesaleDiscount Basketball JerseysCheap NHL Jerseys AuthenticCheap Baseball Jerseys Free ShippingCheapest College Jerseys SaleCheap Football Jerseys ChinaNike NFL Jerseys CanadaWholesale NHL Jerseys From ChinaMLB Jerseys Outlet CanadaWholesale NBA Jerseys Canada StoreCheap Soccer Jerseys ChinaCheap Authentic Jerseys Canada ' ' '