Detroit Red Wings Game Analysis, After-Action Report for Saturday Jan 10th: Detroit Red Wings 1 – Washington Capitals 3

Hey the Red Wings lost and that makes me feel sad feelings in my brain-lobes. It was a weird game and one that really sucked because Howard got hurt. Not sure there’s anything to learn from this one. It’s all the same mistakes only they were deadlier than usual. The Wings should remember how to play a Barry Trotz team.

Box Score Here

The refs let a ton go, but that benefited the Wings more. The only two penalties Detroit took were the super-obvious ones that the refs absolutely could not let go. Detroit didn’t get a shot off on the power play and allowed Washington to score on theirs. Shots were 27-17 for the WIngs

I don’t want to talk about goaltending. Shut up.

Guide to plus/minus adjustments

The Goals

1st Period 01:53 – Washington Goal (PP): Troy Brouwer (wraparound) unassisted
The Caps get the first on a miscommunication among the PKers that the Caps take advantage of and which injures Jimmy Howard. A weak dump-in from the PP gets stopped by Howard behind his own net and left there. Unfortunately, it gets left there on a miscommunication, as Sheahan and DeKeyser each take opporite corners and Brouwer is the only one who goes for the puck. Brouwer gets to the far post before Howard can and i’s a goal. I’m not going to make an adjustment on this goal because I honestly have no idea what the communication was. I know it was bad, but without the ability to tell whether the breakdown was mutual or all on any one of Howard, DeKeyser, or Sheahan, I don’t feel like I can make an accurate adjustment here.

2nd Period 01:35 – Washington Goal: John Carlson (one-timer) from Andre Burakovsky and Nicklas Backstrom
Washington goes up 2-0 finishing off a 4-on-3 rush that finds Carlson in the high slot for a blast through a moving Mrazek. Orpik collects a puck after Nyquist tries to split three defensemen and fail. A bounce pass off the boards to Ovechkin at the point is nearly picked off by Zetterberg, but is instead deflected to the middle of the Caps zone where Backstrom gets it and starts up ice in a 3-on-2 though the Neutral zone. By the time Backstrom enters the zone with Ovi and Burakovsky on his wings, Abdelkader gets back to make the numbers even. As Backstrom feeds Burakovsky on the right wing side to draw Kronwall over and Abdelkader takes Ovi, nobody picks up Carlson trailing the play. Burakovsky goes to the right dot and then feeds it back to Carlson for the one-timer. This one is a bit tough. I don’t like what happened on Nyquist’ zone entry, but it actually creates a play that a forecheck should. I’m going to clear Nyquist. Abdelkader gets back to be a part of this play covering his man, but I think a zone coverage instead of man would be more effective here. With Ericsson still in the middle and Kronwall watching him closer, the lane to Ovi on the far side would have been difficult for Burakovsky to hit. Unfortunately, Abby can’t see that this is a 4-on-3 developing because he’s hustling back the entire way. I’m going to halve Abdelkader’s minus because I think he did *a* right thing but not *the*right thing. I am going to halve Kronwall’s minus for the same thing. He is turned up ice so he can see this is a 4-on-3. Staying in Burakovsky’s lane is appropriate, but I’d like to see him challenge and take the gamble that he gets walked. Ericsson gets the same halved-minus treatment as well. Riggy stays on Backstrom after the pass to keep him from getting space to make a shot if the pass comes back, but at the same time, he abandons the middle of the ice and gives Carlson a shooting lane. Each of these guys’ problem is that they’re not willing to give up a tentative man-on-man coverage in favor of allowing an odd-man situation to the outside and instead end up giving the odd-man up the middle. The extra blame on this play goes to Zetterberg, who tips the puck directly to the Caps to create an odd-man rush and then watches as his man scores the game-winner. Zetterberg will get a minus.

2nd Period 11:39 – Washington Goal: Joel Ward (wrist shot) from Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich
3-0 for the Caps on a combination soft play and lucky bounce as Ward finishes one. Quincey gets an outlet pass picked off at center and turned back into the Wings’ zone where he makes up for it by poking a pass away from Ward on the entry. However, Fehr is the first one on it and he gloves it down before chopping it to the slot for a 50/50 battle between Ward and DeKeyser. DK Blocks Ward’s attempt to slap it on net, but it bounces to Ward’s back foot as he continues to glide low in the middle. This protects the puck perfectly from DK’s stick and allows Ward to regain control and snap it past Mrazek. The lucky bounces here are astounding, but it’s not all that. Helm, Datsyuk, and Tatar will be cleared, but Quincey will get an extra minus for the turnover on a bad neutral zone pass and DeKeyser will get an extra coverage minus for playing too softly on Ward. Sometimes instead of the fancy swordfighting stuff, you’ve got to step up and knock a guy on his ass.

2nd Period 19:48 – Detroit Goal: Jonathan Ericsson (slap shot) from Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist
Detroit spoils the shutout after several minutes’ worth of good offensive pressure that eventually culminates in Ericsson stepping into a loose puck up top and shooting it into traffic, getting a bounce in. Tatar dumps it in, but instead of attacking hard, the forecheckers wait a bit to get into position. This works out as Tatar pressures Niskanen into trying a pass up the boards that Nyquist picks off and feeds back out to Tatar who almost pots it on the short side at the near post, except for a Holtby poke check. As the puck bounces out from the poke check, Backstrom sweeps it up ice where it hits Brouwer above the dot and bounces to the middle for Ericsson. Riggy winds up and slaps it into traffic where it bounces in off Karl Alzner’s booty. It’s a nice forecheck by Nyquist and Tatar, who will each get a half-plus. Tatar will also get a screener’s assist for being right in Holtby’s grill.

The Penalties

1st Period 00:53 – Tomas Tatar (delay of game): Tatar flips one over the glass from close to the boards and sits. For a guy who controls the puck as well as Tatar does, that’s inexcusable. Minus for Tatar.

1st Period 14:10 – Brooks Orpik (tripping) against Joakim Andersson: The Wings get their first power play as the fourth line buzzes off momentum and gets a few chances. On a shot to the front, Andersson gets dumped before he can position for a rebound. Andersson will get a plus for his good work on this shift.

2nd Period 02:09 – Marcus Johansson (delay of game): Detroit gets a power play off a puck over the glass. No adjustment. Whatever.

3rd Period 10:57 – Brendan Smith (high sticking) against Tom Wilson: The Wings go shorthanded as Smith tries to stand up on Wilson leaving the Washington zone and gets the guy in the face with his stick. Minus for Smith. Only an obvious penalty is going to get called on the Wings here and that’s exactly what happens.

Total Adjustments

Full Season Chart Here

Possession Metrics

Even-strength Corsi numbers provided thanks to NHL.com via War-On-Ice.com.

Hey those are some good number for Pulkkinen, huh?

The aces got put in their places to succeed and didn’t.

Check out more from war-on-ice.com, including the visualized shift chart here.

Final Say

Keep Ouellet.

Corsi Timeline from Hockeystats.ca