We’re baaaaaaack! Hockey Lent is over, and it’s time to get back to our favorite vice/addiction/casual relationship called Red Wings Hockey!
1st Period
Starting this one out beautifully! Perron with a nice little gather and give play after an underrated outlet pass from Petry springs Raymond who dekes and slams it home straight out of the gate! Just 45 seconds to get on the board with Detroit’s fastest goal of the season!
Detroit 1 – Vancouver 0
Minutes later, Lyon fell behind the net leaving an unguarded cage, but a great stick from Veleno negated a gimme goal for DiGiuseppe. DeBrincat is looking particularly quick, Petry has had a couple of strong defensive efforts, and Gostisbehere has already had two turnovers, one of them unforgivably awful. We go to the first commercial break with the Good Guys looking good.
The next few minutes are largely controlled by the Canucks. For the most part, the Wings have done a great job backchecking and keeping Vancouver away from the high danger areas. Hughes and Hronek combine for some fanciness at the blue line, but Chiarot is able to block Hronek’s chance in the slot. Hughes, by the way, is pretty good at doing the hockey. He draws the first penalty of the game.
A wonderful play off the first faceoff results in a sure goal for Vancouver, but Lyon got enough of the shot and Walman scraped it off of the goal line somehow. This power play is all Vancouver for the first 1:15. They’re downright scary with their puck movement. Hughes gets called for holding Larkin’s stick. Larkin gets called for giving the back of Hughes’s head a donkey punch. 30 seconds remain on Perron’s hooking penalty, and the penalty is killed without further fanfare.
Petry continues to have a strong period. Team defense is also strong thus far. Fischer made a really pretty play to spring Copp, but Copp is more of a “catch-and-release” kind of guy. After a big, loud ping to Lyon’s glove side, the Wings generate a handful of dangerous-looking chances from distance to even up the SOG count at 9, but we head to the last commercial break of the first period with no changes to the scoreboard.
Low event hockey for a few minutes until Zadorov clips Compher’s nose and we’re off to a RRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY! The first faceoff is to be taken by Veleno which is interesting but I’m also all for it; he’s been hustling out there. There’s a child announcing the penalty in the arena and it’s adorable. Veleno, Kane, and Debrincat were pretty meh on their shift, but Seider looked amazing. Fabbri somehow missed a glorious looking chance but that’ll do it for the penalty and the period.
End 1 Detroit 1 – Vancouver 0
2nd Period
The first minute is all Vancouver. Hughes is still very good. Debrincat breaks a stick. Walman slew foots Lyon. Game is tied.
Detroit 1 – Vancouver 1
The Wings look flatfooted and the Canucks look scary and as I type that Mickey points out this is what a team that is back into the swing of things looks like against a team that hasn’t played in 10 days.
4 minutes in and Raymond is down on the ice in obvious discomfort. It might have had something to do with Zadorov throwing a flying shoulder to his chin. The refs call a major that goes to review as Raymond goes to the locker room albeit under his own power. Upon replay, it looked like Zadorov was trying to hit Raymond in the temple with his elbow but just missed. The major is upheld and Zadorov gets an early night so that he can be a schmuck while not wearing equipment.
Compher ruins the first setup with an absolutely terrible passing decision which make me realize that’s how he’s been passing all game. Already 1:20 gone in the major and the Red Wings haven’t connected a single pass in the o-zone let alone registered a shot. Well into the third minute and two or three looks but no shots on goal until Fabbri gives DeSmith an easy save. There is no urgency on this 5 minute power play whatsoever. The two most dangerous chances both belong to Vancouver and Alex Tanguay still has a job. Finally, in the final minute, Debrincat makes a couple of nice plays to set up Kane to smash DeSmith’s mask with the puck. Other than that, nothing good happens for the entire five minutes.
With 9 seconds left on the major, Hronek smashes Larkin’s face like he was chopping logs in half for a long winter. This pathetic excuse for a man advantage gets a two minute extension because Larkin didn’t have the decency to bleed after taking a two-handed axe chop to the moneymaker.
The next 60 seconds of man-advantage are more respectable than the first 300, but that’s 420 uniterrupted seconds of Detroit penalty that is inexcusably awful, Hronek comes out of the box, and puts it past Lyon.
Detroit 1 – Vancouver 2
Hronek has a goal and an assist, so it’s time for Suter to get on the goal sheet too. He shoots wide, Petterson gets away with the teensiest bit of goaltender interference and pots the puck off the backboards.
Detroit 1 – Vancouver 3
Only good news of the period: Raymond is back. 5 minutes left in this atrocious middle frame.
Two minutes left and Cole and Debrincat drop the gloves after an ugly scrum. Stick tap to Debrincat for toughness, but he got his ass kicked. Not to mention Vancouver will take that 5 minute trade off every time. Larkin and Raymond go to the box for roughing in addition to Cat’s major and the Canucks get a power play out of all of that. This period needs to end.
End 2 Detroit 1 – Vancouver 3
Thank God.
3rd Period
The Wings are only down two and have a ton of 3rd period comebacks this season, but they’ll have to find a few more gears than they found in the last frame. 40 seconds into the period and it’s time for a RRRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY after Kane takes a trip. The good news I guess is that this power play is due? Fresh ice? The first unit is familiarly feckless. On the second shift, Raymond takes a nasty check into the boards from Myers but keeps on fighting. Moments later he wins a race to the puck, gets it to Kane who has a sweet setup to Sprong who Springs some life back into the game with a wicked snapshot inside the far post!
Detroit 2 – Vancouver 3
Copp Copps, which is unfortunate, but the Wings do seem to have some pep in their skates now. Cat-Kane-Compher nearly create some great chances, but the best thing about that shift is the energy the crowd is finally showing. Raymond throws a violent legal hit on the next shift. This young man’s compete level is beautiful.
Lyon has been solid if unspectacular so far this afternoon, but makes a fantastic glove save. It’s feeling like lots of outstanding individual efforts may just start adding up to outstanding team results.
The Canucks get a couple of rushes with potential, but then the Moose line comes out. It’s a full-line effort: Copp, Fischer, Walman, and Moose all did their jobs and won their battles. Jake Walman with the slap pass, Rasmussen with the top shelf redirection!
Detroit 3 – Vancouver 3
“This is no place….for ANY kind of nervous person! The heat’s turned up!” – Mickey Redmond, National Treasure.
Two shifts later, Copp springs Moose for a rather unique-looking breakaway. Moose can’t convert it and we’re off to commercial with 9:21 remaining in a suddenly tied game. These are not your Red Wings of yesteryear.
Immediately out of the commercial, Perron is heading back to the sin bin (it is the third period after all) and it’s time for a very, very big PK. Vancouver maintains possession for the entire first minute. Lyon apparently has the strongest right leg in all of hockey. Also, huge props to Seider for having the wherewithal to a) not close his glove around the puck at the goal line and b) grab the back of his goaltender’s skate to keep the puck from crossing the goalline.
After a quick review, the call of no goal stands. Off the ensuing faceoff, Lyon makes a remarkably athletic toe save. 20 seconds later he makes another great save and another after an intense recovery effort and holy jumpin’ has he gotten stronger and stronger as this game has progressed. Kane and Perron nearly combined for a heartstopping goal. The intensity of this period is playoff-like and simply wonderful.
Quinn Hughes committed a rare ill-advised icing penalty, and after the whistle was blown Chiarot and Petry inadvertently collided with each other and both immediately squared off with each other ready to throw down. I appreciate both the intensity and the lols. Lyon makes another really really strong pad save that Walman turns into an exciting little rush and we’re off to our final commercial in regulation all knotted up with 4:22 to go.
Perron has had a couple of predictable penalties and hasn’t been super strong offensively tonight, but he has had some really unheralded types of plays in the neutral and defensive zones tonight. Both teams are playing relatively conservative in the final minutes. With 71 seconds left, the Canucks barely, thankfully play the puck offside and Moose pisses everyone in white off. Seider tries to protect his vulnerable teammate, does absolutely nothing illegal, and still joins Rasmussen in the box and I am furious with that kind of chickenshit refereeing. Still, hard to be too mad when Seider gets his lid ripped off and we get to see him jawing with his luscious locks flowing behind him.
Hronek does what I remember him for and turns the puck over literally in his own crease. DeSmith is alert and covers the puck. The Wings lose the o-zone faceoff with 28 seconds remaining and after this long, long layoff, we’re getting extra hockey.
End 3 Detroit 3 – Vancouver 3
Detroit starts with Larkin, Raymond, and Walman (Moose is in the box). Detroit wins the draw and Raymond gets absolutely hooked with no call. He still wins the puck and springs Walman for a breakaway who gets held and now we’ve got a call. It’s a penalty shot! Walman takes his time, skates in slow, gives a tiny head fake to the blocker, and snipes the twine over the pad and under the trapper and IT’S GRIDDY TIME. WALMAN WINS IT IN OT ON A PENALTY SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Final Score: Detroit 4 – Vancouver 3
Final Thoughts:
All of the points matter now. But not only is this a huge 2 points, what a huge statement for this team to each other that they can beat anyone in this league on any night under any circumstances. Off for 10 games, an atrocious 2nd period with a non-existent power play, and true to this season’s form, these boys don’t quit. Not on each other.
LGRW!!!!
