The Jackets are coming in fresh off a win vs. the Capitals last night. The Wings saw their sizzling two-game win streak end by way of the LA Kings on Sunday. These are two of the worst teams in the NHL. They have combined to go 5-13-2 their last 20. Meaning this should be an absolute THRILLER.
1st Period
LGD vs. Jenner. Bernier vs. Korpisalo. Underway from LCA. Good pace to start this game from both teams. Adam Erne makes it 1-0! His first point of the year! Perlini hit Erne cross ice entering the zone, who played it over to Nielsen(!!!!!) on a give-and-go and Erne finished it off with a one-timer. 1-0 Detroit. Erne-Perlini-Nielsen combined for just 2 A, -33 before that goal. Red Wings took their foot right off the gas immediately after the goal. 1st TV timeout.
Coming out of the break we see the ovation for a Gustav Nyquist tribute video they showed at LCA. Okay. Shots just 3-3 as we hit the halfway point of the 1st Period. No real amazing chances for anyone outside of the Erne goal. Red Wings turn it over behind their net and it left a mad scramble in front. The Jackets had about 3 chances with Bernier down and an open net, but all of their shots were blocked. Red Wings pick up a penalty on the scramble and on the delay the Jackets tie it. Atkinson was the extra-attacker and Dubois threw one towards him, streaking in front of Bernier, and he delivered a beautiful tip to tie the game, 1-1.
All Jackets now out of the 2nd TV timeout. And they score again. A gorgeous spin-around no look pass from, you guessed it, Gustav Nyquist to set up a wide open Oliver Bjorkstrand in front of the net all alone and he beats Bernier, 2-1 Jackets. The Red Wings just completely stopped playing after Erne put them up 1-0. Final TV timeout with the shots now 10-3 in favor of the BJs.
Nick Lidstrom joins Ken and Mick now out of the break and there is ZERO doubt in my mind that he would be the best defenseman on the team if he played again. Columbus now takes a penalty for interference so we’ll see if the Red Wings PP can flip the ice at all. So far nothing 60 seconds into the power play. And nothing is what the Red Wings PP gets. 0 shots, maybe 15 seconds of zone time in total. Now the Red Wings score! It’s Erne AGAIN! They interrupted a great Lidstrom story so rudely. Bowey let it go from the point and LGD intentionally redirected to a wide open Erne who had a wide open net! 2-2. That ends the 1st Period and somehow the Red Wings are tied.
Shots: 13-4 CBJ
Score: 2-2
2nd Period
Red Wings back to the PP just over a minute into the period as Foligno takes down Mike Green. SCORES! A great play by Hronek to keep the puck in led to a great cycle from the PP and a shot from Hronek that was tipped by Larkin in front! 3-2 Red Wings! They’re going to give the goal to Bertuzzi after it tipped off about three sticks before making its way past Korpisalo. Red Wings now buzzing and Zadina just misses a chance in the slot with a scorching wrister. Penalty on the Red Wings, this time the Jackets don’t score on the delay. Mantha goes for hooking. Red Wings PK was looking good but Daley scores on himself. Stenlund tried to center a puck at the bottom of the circle and Daley puts it in five hole on Bernier, 3-3. 1st career NHL goal for Kevin Stenlund. Holy moly how the hell did the Red Wings not tie it. I don’t even know how to describe it to you. Go see the highlight. Korpisalo was at the side of his net out of the crease and the Red Wings had the net WIDE OPEN but somehow they couldn’t bang it home. Replay shows Erne whacked it off Korpisalo about five times and it somehow never went in. Jackets PP after the 1st TV timeout finally comes nearly halfway through the 1st.
Seth Jones let one fly from the point that no one knew where it was and the Red Wings were lucky because it was sitting there off the rebound on the back door, but LGD was able to get rid of it to the corner. Red Wings kill off the rest of the power play. Jackets picking up play once again with several in-tight chances in front of Bernier. Shots now BJs 20-7 as we hit the 2nd TV timeout. Puck feels like it hasn’t left the Red Wings zone in four minutes as Columbus has the last ten shots in this game. The trend continues as the Red Wings just can’t get anything going and are relying heavily on Bernier at the moment. Final TV timeout with 3:52 left.
I mean this is just incredible at this point how much time is being spent in the Red Wings zone while it’s controlled by not the Wings. Shots are now, 26-7 Columbus, for the entire game…. I just run out of words to describe how bad the Red Wings are this year. Yet, somehow, the game is still tied. With 1:08 to go, Bertuzzi takes a high stick so PP coming up for the Red Wings. Couple of chances early on the PP for the Wings, but that was it and we stay tied heading into the 2nd intermission. Red Wings will have 52 seconds of carryover time to start the 3rd.
Shots: 27-10 CBJ
Score: 3-3
3rd Period
And the Jackets not only kill off the penalty, but score shortly after. Pierre Luc-Dubois entered the zone, used Mike Green as a screen, and went high glove on Bernier. 4-3 Columbus. 2-on-1 for the Jackets trying to deliver the dagger already and Foligno almost snuck it threw Bernier’s five-hole but he kept the pillows shut. Shots are now 31-11 Blue Jackets. Just. I mean. Okay. Sure. Perlini with the best chance in a while for the Wings as Larkin hit him flying up the wing and he just send the shot wide. 1st TV timeout now.
Red Wings starting to wake up finally as they have controlled the puck in the Jackets zone for a while now. However, not many chances come out of it as the Red Wings are running out of time. 2nd TV timeout. Out of the break Blashill throws the top line out there after the break. Oh boy, Bowey turned it over at the Jackets blue line but Bernier robbed Atkinson on a breakaway. Follow up they find Jenner on the back door and Bernier slides across to rob him. Oh lordie. Mantha left a beautiful pass for a crossing Bertuzzi who tried passing it back to Mantha instead of shooting the puck as he was staring down Korpisalo. Red Wings offsides leads us to the final TV timeout with 5:51 left in the game.
Mantha spins and backhands one of the goal post while the Jackets were playing with only four sticks. May have been deflected by Bertuzzi and replay shows it was. Under four to go now and the Red Wings are finally showing some urgency, but nothing going in yet. Under two to go and no difference. Next rush and Bernier will be out. Fabbri fanned on the shot, split a double team and hit the goal post. It was one of the luckiest-unluckiest plays ever. Red Wings had some chances, but the Jackets are continuing to a good job keeping it away from the net. Mantha turns it over at the blue line and GUSTAV NYQUIST ices it into the empty net. Jackets win 5-3.
Shots: 39-21 CBJ
Score: 5-3 CBJ
