Defencemen dropping like bugs from a zapper. A patchwork blue line that causes a rush on media guides — in the dressing room. Desperation. Worry. A February to forget.

Yes, things sure were bleak for those Detroit Red Wings back in 2008.

Mikael Samuelsson remembers it well. Sort of.

The Vancouver winger played for Detroit three years ago when the mighty Red Wings went on an injury binge similar to this month's Canuck crisis.

“I can't remember how many guys we had out, but it was a lot,” Samuelsson said before the Canucks chartered home Friday from Nashville after losing two of three games on the road this week.

And, no, it wasn't a medivac flight. Everyone knows you can't fit six injured defencemen in one chopper.

“I just know we had a lot of guys out and a lot of new guys in,” Samuelsson continued. “I can't remember everyone [who was injured], but it was tough.”

Allow us to remind him.

Starting with Niklas Kronwall's shoulder injury, the Red Wings lost in the span of a few games their best four defencemen. Nicklas Lidstrom hurt his knee, Brian Rafalski his groin and Chris Chelios his leg. All four were simultaneously out of the lineup by the end of February.

In their final 11 games that month, the best team in the National Hockey League that season went 1-8-2.

By comparison, the the best team in the NHL so far this season is coping rather well.

The Canucks are 8-3 since top defenceman Alex Edler left the lineup Jan. 24 to have back surgery, and 3-3 since Keith Ballard's knee sprain Feb. 7 against Ottawa precipitated an outbreak of four injuries in five games on Vancouver's defence.

Christian Ehrhoff is the only defenceman still playing of the six regulars who helped the Canucks climb to the top of the NHL standings six weeks ago, although Sami Salo, playing again after a months-long Achilles injury, would have been in the lineup somewhere.

The Canucks' No. 3 defenceman right now, Aaron Rome, was a healthy scratch for much of the season's first half. No. 4 Chris Tanev was in Tier 2 junior less than two years ago, No. 5 Yann Sauve was in the East Coast League in December and No. 6 Evan Oberg has been a healthy scratch several times this season in the American League.

“You try not to pay too much attention about it,” Samuelsson said of the injuries. “If that's your main focus, it's not going to work. You have no chance.”

In case you're curious, the 2007-08 Wings got all their defencemen back in early March. They went 12-3-1 after February to win the Presidents' Trophy, then won the Stanley Cup by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Some people would say things turned out alright for Detroit.

“If you're going to look on the upside of it, guys get rest [while injured],” Samuelsson said. “They get time to prepare and they come back refreshed. Absolutely, I think it helped us in Detroit. The players coming back are hungry and they want to play. How much is that worth? Nobody can tell. I know when I'm injured, I really want to come back and have success even more.”

The Canuck blue-line injuries are both more plentiful and more serious than the Red Wings'. But Ballard and Dan Hamhuis (concussion) made progress this week in Vancouver, and may play next week.

Their return should buoy the team.

“I remember that, too,” Samuelsson said. “I look forward to that day. You know when you look around the locker room, if everyone's healthy we have a good team. It will feel good one day, hopefully, when everyone is together again.”

imacintyre@vancouversun.com

On Twitter: Twitter.com/imacvansun