It’s Florida! The team from that state that doesn’t ALWAYS beat us. It’s my first recap of the season, and we haven’t had a win yet, which makes me think that maybe I can help break our losing streak. Exactly how, I don’t know. But I hope that tonight’s game will be entertaining and Detroit can get a win.

I wish I didn’t have to follow up the great recap that Sara wrote last game, but I’ll do my best to keep this recap entertaining.

Looks like Mantha is still on the 4th line. I read that Abdelkader is on the power play again, which you will definitely read me complain about further down if that’s true. Hronek and Cholowski are in the lineup tonights, so hopefully that at least means I don’t have to see Kronwall on the power play.

The forward lines are the same as they were to start last game. Rather than continually post how the lines are changing from shift to shift, just look at this from time to time.

First Period

Jimmy Howard makes the first good save of the game about 30 seconds in, so we’re not off to a great start.

Larkin nearly set up Helm for a great goal a minute later, but nothing doing. Larkin was asking for a penalty call, but I didn’t see anything.

Bertuzzi and Athanasiou had a two on one with Nielsen joining the rush, but the Panther defensemen made a nice sliding play to block the pass across to AA. The speedy Red Wing got away with an accidental high stick at the end of play, so later when Florida gets away with one, I won’t get too upset.

I wish that for some reason Mantha’s nickname as Jerry, so we could have the Thom Ehn Jerry line.

I was trying to figure out who Hicketts replaced in the lineup from the lines the Wings put on Twitter, and it’s Filip Hronek. So, I guess I might get to see Kronwall and Abdelkader on the power play. Awesome.

Barkov gets a breakaway, but Howard keeps it out. Man, the Florida forward just blew through the Detroit D there.

And it’s 1-0 Florida Keith Yandle took a pass from Dadonov and ripped a wrister past Jimmy Howard. Howard seems to think he should have had that, but that was a great shot. On the replay, it’s clear that Hicketts was too close to Daley and too far from Ekblad. Still a great shot, but as Mickey puts it “it’s a good lesson for #2,” and I agree.

GOAL! Daley throws a puck to the net, and Abdelkader was in front of the net. Rasmussen got a stick on it, and it looks to be his first NHL goal. From the replay, it looks like Abdelkader didn’t touch it.

There is a challenge for goaltender interference. Abdelkader was outside of the crease, and Hutchinson was in the crease. On the overhead shot, we see that Abdelkader clipped Hutchinson’s skate. Even so, it still looked like Hutchinson wasn’t prevented from playing the puck.

Doesn’t matter. The call is reversed, and Rasmussen has to wait a little longer to get his first NHL goal. To be honest, if the teams were reversed, I’d probably be arguing for it to be overturned, so I can’t be too angry.

How do I feel? Kevin Sorbo, take it away.

Cholowski has a pretty good chance with 4:07 left in the period, but Hutchinson keeps it out. So far it’s been a relatively quiet period, except for a few exciting moments. With Detroit ....

And Florida scored as I was typing that. 2-0. This one Howard really needs to save. Nick Bjugstad takes the puck off the faceoff win by Barkov and beats Howard short side from the top of the left faceoff circle.

At the end of the period, we get a replay that shows the shot went off Jensen’s right ankle.

Jonathan Huberdeau goes into the boards awkwardly. Larkin gave him a little push with his stick after giving him a shove, but the official was right there and didn’t call a penalty. Huberdeau goes to the dressing room with just over a minute left, but I imagine we’ll see him back for the second.

The period ends 2-0 Florida. I was hoping for a better showing so far, but it’s not terrible. Basically, here’s the first period.

Here’s the possession chart from Natural Stat Trick. Not great.

Natural Stat Trick

Second Period

We are underway in the second period.

Rasmussen makes a nice play to get around his man and throw a puck on net from a sharp angle. He’s having a really good shift here, and he’s out with Ehn and Abdelkader, so we’ll see where Mantha ends up.

Detroit goes to the power play with 14:24 left. Matheson trips Athanasiou off the faceoff, so Detroit gets 1:56 of a 5 on 3. I don’t see Kronwall or Abdelkader.

I do see Cholowski, and he SCORES!!!

Detroit wins the faceoff. Athanasiou wins the puck battle and gets it to Cholowski. Rasmussen screens Hutchinson and Cee-Lo rips it past the goalie to cut the lead to 1.

GOAL! ANOTHER ONE!

On the 5 on 4, Vanek carries the puck out of his zone and passes to Nielsen. Number 51 has had a horrible start to the season, but he puts the puck onto Vanek’s stick in stride and Vanek picks the top corner and shoots a laser exactly there.

2-2, just like that.

WHAT? A LEAD? MY OH MY

I swear I typed that before Mickey said it.

Nyquist gets it to Larkin, who passes to Helm, who immediately passes back to Larkin for a tap in goal. That was beautiful. Detroit leads 3-2.

Detroit takes a penalty for too much man.

You would have been surprised who had the power play that time. Detroit was in Florida’s zone more than the other way, so it was obviously a great kill.

The penalty kill went so well that Vanek takes a slashing penalty.

This kill is a little more hairy, but Detroit emerges unscathed.

Larkin breaks in down the right side. Hutchinson makes the save and doesn’t see the puck was loose, so he blows the play dead. Larkin isn’t happy, and you can’t blame him.

Rasmussen takes a tripping penalty. We’ve been good on the kill, but this is really tempting fate.

More difficult than last time, but Detroit kills it. Bjugstad takes a penalty for going back at Frans Nielsen. Detroit holds onto the puck for a while, but Florida gets a stick on it with 36 seconds left in the period.

Detroit can’t get anything going in those 36 seconds, and they will have about 1:30 with the man advantage on a fresh sheet of ice.

The period ends with Detroit having a lead! I double checked, but it’s true!

Definitely feeling a lot better after that period:

Here’s the possession chart:

Natural Stat Trick

Third Period

After the first little bit of the period, Kronwall comes out on the power play. Great. Oh, and Abdelkader is out there. Double great.

Kronwall and Abdelkader on the power play individually is bad enough. Both out together is brutal.

Florida kills the rest of the penalty, and Detroit is still up 3-2.

Barkov gets a breakaway and Cholowski does what he can, but he takes a penalty. Not just that, but a penalty shot.

Barkov fans on it! The puck bounced on him, and he just whiffed.

Glendening trips Trocheck and Detroit goes to the penalty kill again. I’m looking for a small barnyard animal to sacrifice to stop these penalties.

The end of the penalty kill was pretty scary, but Detroit doesn’t give up a goal. Still up 3-2.

Mantha is back with Nyquist and Larkin. Sometimes the blender puts out a good combination.

Ten minutes left, and Detroit is still holding on. Mantha is out with Nielsen and Vanek.

Larkin passes to Nyquist for a tap in, but the pass deflects before it gets to Goose, which keeps the score at 3-2.

Detroit hasn’t put the game away, but they are putting pressure on Florida that is keeping the Panthers from getting anything going.

Mantha nearly got a goal off a pass from Larkin. Then Larkin nearly scored while falling to the ice. No matter what the result, Detroit is putting the effort in tonight.

Florida hits the post at the other end, and this game is now crazy end to end action.

Hicketts tries to hit Athanasiou on the alley-oop play. AA can’t get there, but he does draw what should have been a penalty from Vatrano, but interference is legal now, so cool.

Darren Helm takes an offensive zone penalty with 4:45 left. It was a really weak call, especially considering the no call on Vatrano a minute ago.

Detroit does a great job of killing the penalty, and Glendening even gets a shorthanded chance after chipping the puck past the Florida defender.

Florida pulls their goalie with just under 2 minutes left. So, with 1:42 in the third, Detroit needs to finish this out. Jensen ices the puck. 1:30 left.

And Florida ties it because of course they do. Hoffman scores on a floater that Howard absolutely should have had.

3-3. Life sucks again.

Natural Stat Trick

Overtime

Athanasiou breaks in down the left side and rips a slap shot, but Hutchinson keeps it out.

Larkin blocks a sure goal by sliding to block a Trocheck 3 on 1 pass.

Vanek tries to do too much and gives the puck away, but a shot from Hoffman goes over the net. Vanek then gets the puck to another Red Wing, but it somehow stays out.

It immediately goes the other way, but Howard stops a breakaway.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!

Larkin gets the puck to Nyquist for a breakaway, and he beats Hutchinson to the goalie’s left and Oh my God we won a game.

How happy is Athanasiou?