After the unmitigated disaster that was the season opener, the Red Wings came into game two not needing to win, but to simply show some improvement. That’s what we got from Detroit Saturday night in their home game against the Nashville Predators… And they got a win after all!
While Nashville had the wide edge in possession and shots on goal, Detroit was much better with sacrificing the body, collecting a fair number of blocked shots and hits. I was particularly impressed with a few elements of Detroit’s game in this game. Let’s talk about it.
Finally… Some Stability Between the Pipes
Opening night was pretty ugly for Red Wings goaltending. Ville Husso was yanked and Cam Talbot didn’t look his best in relief. Much different story in their game against the Predators — Cam Talbot was simply sensational throughout the game. The first-year Red Wing pitched a huge shutout, stopping all 42 shots he faced. It was a particularly tough game for Talbot because the Wings had a lot of face offs in their own zone. This game likely earned Talbot the start on Monday against the New York Rangers.
Bright Spots on Defense (!!!)
With Jeff Petry sidelined due to an injury and Erik Gustaffson out of the lineup, Justin Holl and Albert Johansson were called upon to fill in. Johansson, making his NHL debut, played exceptionally. Good skater, quick decision-making, and responsible defense. Johansson only played about 12 minutes, so it’s important to understand that this wasn’t exactly a high-leverage role that he played. I’m not sure just how many games this rookie will see this season, but this game should show coaching that he can be a valuable piece to the puzzle.
Then there’s Justin Holl. Man, this guy has been a disappointment since signing his three-year contract before lsat season. BUT… Give the guy some credit — he played a damn good game against Nashville. Certainly looked more competent than Petry has.
Scoring the Greasy Way
Detroit’s power play couldn’t register any scoring on its two tries, but the team managed to pull away with a pair of “greasy” goals from JT Compher and Andrew Copp. Compher opened the scoring in the first period with a really nice redirect off of Moritz Seider’s shot. At first the goal looked like it may have been a high stick, but after review it counted. Here’s the highlight:
The Wings wouldn’t score again until the early stages of the third period when Andrew Copp’s skate got in the way of Lucas Raymond’s pass and favorably ended up behind Juuse Saros. You’re not gonna get much offense from Copp, so anytime he can show up on the score sheet is a big plus… Even if he didn’t actually mean to score. 😉
Other Notes
Detroit had to play with a shortened bench in this game after Christian Fischer exited with an upper-body injury. We’re not sure on the severity, but this would be a big loss for the team. Fischer is an important roleplayer in the bottom six. Let’s hope he’s back soon.
Moritz Seider was an absolute beast. Big minutes (25:44), an assist, seven blocked shots and EIGHT hits. This team is at its best when Mo is at his best.
Nashville pulled Saros with plenty of time left in the third, and Detroit was essentially in survival mode (iced the puck a lot to keep it safe) until Dylan Larkin picked up his first goal of the season on an empty net. A little dagger from the captain put a pretty bow on this game.
It wasn’t a perfect game, but there was a lot of improvement. Thursday night’s game against Pittsburgh was ugly, but I had the feeling that wasn’t what this team really is. Tonight’s game suggests that feeling may be valid, but still very early in the season.
The Wings are off until Monday when they head to Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin had himself a stinker against Utah Saturday night (an OT loss for NYR), so there’s a chance Detroit will see Jonathan Quick get the start.
