Wings drop season opener 4-3

by Christy on Oct 2, 2009 4:49 PM CDT in Game Recaps Comment 5 comments

The Detroit Red Wings dropped their season opener in Stockholm, Sweden, in a 4-3 loss against the St. Louis Blues. Despite the Blues taking the first lead of the game, it was the Red Wings who dominated the first period of action outshooting St. Louis 16-7. After a high-scoring 40 minutes, the offense cooled down considerably. And what I really mean by considerably is that no one actually scored in the final stanza of play.

Jay McClement opened the scoring for St. Louis with a tally 7:54 into the first period. Detroit would end the first period up 2-1 thanks to markers from Jonathan Ericsson and Kirk Maltby. The Big E tipped the puck in with assists given to Maltby and Kris Draper. Maltby scored his first goal of the season while the team was shorthanded less than four minutes later.

Forward Ville Leino padded the Wings' lead in the waning seconds of Detroit's power play, but the Wings struggled for most of the second period. Paul Kariya would bring the Blues to within one to spark an offensive surge from St. Louis as they scored two more times in the middle frame with goals from Brandon Crombeen and another one from Kariya.

Unfortunately Ericsson left the ice near the end of the second period and would not return due to an ankle injury. His status is unknown for tomorrow's contest. The final period went without a goal with shots remaining at 8-8.

The Wings play one more game in Sweden tomorrow afternoon (3 p.m.), once again taking on the Blues, before returning back to Detroit.

What were people's thoughts about the game?

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Comments

Good and bad

Ville Leino-Good-nice positioning and shot selection, looks to be fitting the line-up nicely

Kirk Maltby-Good- Maltby’s under a lot of heat for needing to be out of the line up but he proved that he can still produce when necessary and scored a great goal on the PK

Brett Lebda- Bad- good gosh. I counted 3 goals in which he was out of position—2 too far forward in the attack—and the third just plain poor play and out of position.

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Oct 2, 2009 5:07 PM CDT reply actions

Shaky Defense

This was a game the Wings should have won. They played very poorly for about six minutes in the second period. We need better goaltending and defensemen that do not get out of position too often. However, we play them again tomorrow, lets win that one!

by maksohockey on Oct 2, 2009 5:51 PM CDT reply actions

Maltby

I wouldn’t let him off the hook just yet. I was as thrilled as anyone to see him make not one but two good plays, but then he just coasted for the rest of the game. I’m a Maltby fan, but I’m not one of those people that think he has to be in the lineup every night just because he’s a veteran. He only seems to have those impressive shifts and put up points when his job is up for grabs, and it’s no secret the last roster spot was between him and Eaves.

Thought Leino, Datsyuk, and Franzen were all very good. Holmstrom was a factor again, just not on the scoresheet (the good parts of it, anyway). I liked Bertuzzi tonight. I was just reading a fan over on mLive calling him out for being “out of position” on the Crombeen goal, but I disagree. He followed him right to the net and knocked him on his ass, but Crombeen put it in anyway. Osgood let up a weak rebound there. Bert made some smart plays with the puck and I thought he was a very diligent backchecker — he knows he won’t get big minutes if he doesn’t. He didn’t create any great chances but he showed off his strength a handful of times.

Agree that Lebda was brutal. I was not too impressed with Kronwall either. I hope people who bash Williams took note that it was Kronwall who messed up at the blueline three or four times, mostly on the 4-minute call to Steen.

And Osgood.. just needs to be better. It was one game, and none of those goals were terribly “weak,” but he just needs to start making big saves like he does in the playoffs. He doesn’t see enough shots to do otherwise. If he was really under the weather, I wonder if Howard gets Game 2. I’m assuming Meech will step in if Ericsson can’t go, and I’d like to see Eaves come in for someone on the 4th line.. likely Abdelkader, knowing Babcock.

by KyleKujawa on Oct 2, 2009 6:31 PM CDT reply actions

Roar!!!

Wings need to step it up if they wanna three-peat.

by Farorefox on Oct 2, 2009 8:30 PM CDT reply actions

you guys just ended up getting out hustled.you didnt play bad

"Some people think of the future and it upsets them. They see a rocket and they start building a bomb shelter. They see T.J. Oshie, they start building a fallout shelter." (WTFs and ice technician)

by Oshie#74 on Oct 3, 2009 8:48 AM CDT reply actions