Wings 4, Hurricanes 3 (OT)

Pre-Game

The Wings travel to Carolina for a back-to-back with the Hurricanes. Originally, this was supposed to be just one game, but after a trip to Carolina earlier in the season ended with a cancelled game, the league scheduled the makeup game for tonight.

With Detroit playing last night and tomorrow night, the team called up Dan Renouf to allow Niklas Kronwall to sit.

Line rushes indicate that Helm is back in the lineup, with Nosek coming out. I’m onboard with the first part of that, but not the latter.

Hopefully nobody forgets that we have a game tonight. To them, I say:

First Period

So, Dan Renouf’s name is pronounced Reh-noof as opposed to rhyming with “enough.” This is really disappointing since I spent all day coming up with rhymes for enough. Oh well.

Athanasiou is 3 goals away from 20. Not saying he’s going to get there tonight, but I didn’t get my prediction last recap (that Sheahan would score), so I’m due. Prashanth is at the games tonight and tomorrow, and I would love for him to get to see an AA hat trick.

Also, Zetterberg is 2 points away from 900.

The Athananasiou - Larkin - Abdelkader line looks good on their first shift.

Dan Renouf is wearing 77, which is pretty insensitive to Hurricanes fans who know that number belongs to Anson Carter.

FSD has switched from telling us the Wings still have a chance at making the playoffs to telling us that the Hurricanes still have a chance at making the playoffs. Sure, they technically have a chance too, but they’re not going to pass that many teams.

Carolina strikes first on a goal that Mrazek would like to have back. Skinner takes a cross-ice pass and rifles a knuckler that Mrazek can’t stop. The replay showed that it looked to deflect off Green, so maybe it wasn’t as bad as at first glance. Eh, I still think Mrazek should have had it.

Dylan Larkin takes a penalty a minute later. Luke Glendening injured his ankle on a hit, and does not look good.

The Hurricanes get some good looks, but we go to four-on-four for 30 seconds after Staal gets a stick up high on Drew Miller.

Larkin and Mantha enter the zone on a two-on-one as Larkin is sprung from the box, but Larkin can’t get the pass to Mantha, so no shot on goal.

BTW, at the 10 minute mark, the Wings have 2 shots on goal. Cool.

On a breakaway, the offensive player has three key checkpoints. 1. Receive the pass in stride. 2. Get a good angle on the goalie. 3. Score.

Darren Helm is really good at the first two, but not so great on the third one, and Lack made the save. Great pass by Green to spring him.

Glendening has gone to the room, and my guess is that he will not return.

With 30 seconds left in the period, Mantha drives to the net from the right side, but he can’t finish, and the score remains 1-0. That’s how the period ends, with the Wings being outshot 12-6.

It wasn’t as bad as some first periods this season, but it’s definitely not one to write home about.

Overall, I give it a solid:

Second Period

Luke Glendening will not return tonight, which is not surprising.

Detroit takes a penalty for too many men on the ice.

Mrazek makes several good stops on the PK, with the last couple on Stempniak preventing what looked to be a sure goal.

Nearly 10 minutes into the period, and something finally happens for Detroit. It’s not just something...It’s a Mantha goal!!

Mantha scores his 16th goal of the year, unassisted on a breakaway. I was just about to comment on how Detroit had 8 shots through half the game, but while that is concerning, I am going to be happy with the Mantha go....

Another one! Make that two Mantha goals on breakaways. It looked close to being offside, but the Hurricanes didn’t challenge. While the replay looked very close, it didn’t look conclusive, which is probably what Carolina was thinking.

Jeff Blashill turned to an assistant and asked: “Wait, you don’t HAVE to challenge?”

Amazing how a game can go from pretty boring to exciting in a couple shifts.

Dylan Larkin takes his second tripping penalty of the game at 14:38.

Darren Helm and Drew Miller walk into the offensive zone shorthanded. No punchline needed.

The Hurricanes play “Beat it” during a break in the action, and Old Man Hockey loses his voice shouting “That’s what she said!” at the TV repeatedly. Allegedly.

Justin Faulk ties the game at 2-2 with a minute left in the second period, and suddenly thinks are a lot less fun.

The Hurricanes have 30 shots at the end of the second, which is a lot. The Wings have 15, which is not a lot.

While most of this game has not been great, the 2 minute section where Anthony Mantha scored two breakaway goals was:

Third Period

The Red Wings go to the power play seconds into the third period.

Detroit gets nothing on the power play, but Nyquist and Tatar nearly combine for a goal shortly after.

Abdelkader draws a two minute penalty for interference that could have been called two minutes for body slamming.

The Wings go to the power play, with nothing to show so far tonight.

Tatar puts the Wings ahead 3-2 on the Power Play!

Carolina is calling for goaltender interference, but it doesn’t look like they have anything to hang their hat on. Lack as hit by his own player seconds before Tatar’s shot.

Nyquist and Zetterberg with the assists. Point number 199 for Goose and 899 for Z.

Petr Mrazek robs Skinner with 8 minutes left to keep the score tied.

Thing I didn’t know I needed: Clips of AA and Mantha breakaway goals this season set to “You’re the Best Around.” Someone get on that.

With just over four minutes in the period, Mantha nearly had his third breakaway of the night.

Carolina pulls their goalie with 2 minutes left and immediately begins swarming the Wings.

Their effort pays off as Justin Faulk scores his second of the night with 51 seconds left.

The score remains 3-3 heading to OT. Again.

Overtime

Zetterberg gets a stick on the Hurricane driving to the net to break up a sure goal. Mantha drives strong to the net, but can’t beat Lack. Mrazek makes a save on Skinner and the puck caroms out to center ice, where Athanasiou picks it up all by himself.

He cuts to the middle and scores!

Unfortunately, Eddie Lack looks to be seriously hurt. Athanasiou looks a little hurt, but Lack is really badly hurt. This is terrible, which is strange to say after an AA game winning goal. Victor Rask cross-checked AA into Lack, causing the goalie’s head to snap back.

Lack was down for a long time and had to be loaded onto a stretcher. I can’t remember hearing an arena this quiet for an extended period of time.

I don’t want to speculate, but I can’t remember too many times seeing trainers be this careful putting a player on a stretcher. Thankfully, he gave a thumbs up as the stretcher left the ice.

Ugh, I can’t remember feeling this bad after my team won a game in any sport. I don’t know what Rask was thinking there. I just really hope it’s not as bad as it looks. No jokes or funny gifs at the end of this one. I’m sure you understand.

Ugh.