Remember when the Red Wings beat the Preds to start the season and went on to start 3-1? Remember that? That was fun! Fast forward to present day and, well, here’s to hoping we don’t suck too bad (Spoiler: We did).
1st Period
Howard vs. Rinne. Larkin vs. Johansen. Puck is down and we are underway from the LCA. Woohoo that didn’t take long! Athanasiou’s 1st of the year! Hronek slap-passed one back door as AA corralled and fired it passed Rinne. 1-0 Detroit. Preds have spent a good chunk of the first 5 minutes in the Red Wings zone. However, they have had very few chances and only 1 shot to show for it thus far. Not much else to report in this one as we hit the 1st TV timeout.
Much of the same at the halfway point of the period. Wings try to dump and chase, it doesn’t work, then Nashville comes back the other way and cycles the zone a bunch without any good shots, rinse, wash, repeat. Shots just 3-1 Preds with 10 mins left in the 1st. Larkin and Mantha play catch around three Predators that results in a grade-A chance for Larks in the slot. Rinne made the save but he also drew a penalty on the play. 2nd TV timeout.
Here comes that Red Wings power play as Mantha hammers a one-timer wide. That pretty much was the only chance for the Wings as, you guessed it, didn’t score on the PP and struggled getting set up for most of it. Biega gets tripped behind the net and the ref two feet in front of him doesn’t call it, but the ref 100 feet away at center ice does so the Red Wings will head to another PP after the final TV timeout.
Let’s see if this PP can be more productive than the 1st one. Mantha with an incredible chance after a great cross zone pass from Bertuzzi and he hit the far side post. Unbelievable. Replay shows it was a pass for Larkin, from Mantha, at the back door and he redirected it off the post. D-Boss is so snake-bitten. Only chance of the PP, back to 5-on-5 with just over 2 minutes left in the period. And that does it with a very lackluster 1st Period. But hey they haven’t allowed a goal yet!
Shots: 7-5 NSH
Score: 1-0 DET
2nd Period
2nd Period starts with much of the same pace as the 1st. Nashville generates a good chance as Duchene fires one from the dot and Jarnkrok picked up the rebound in front, but Howard made the save. And off the face-off the Preds tie it. Bonino won the draw back to Hamhuis who shot it from the point and Bonino tipped it home. 1-1. Red Wings playing like they’re up 2-goals in the 3rd Period and have been pretty much all game. And it’s 2-1. Hicketts couldn’t get the puck up ice, turned it over at the blue line and Kyle Turris wristed one home off of Bowey. 2-1 Predators. 3-1 Predators now as Colton Sissons harmlessly enters the zone and wrists one low blocker on Howie. We suck. Hahahaha 4-1 Predators. Howard gets pulled again. Red Wings couldn’t clear the zone, Duchene shoots it and, again, it goes off Bowey. Finally hit the 1st TV timeout with 8:29 to go in the period.
Red Wings woke up a little bit and the Hirose-Nielsen-Perlini line generated a few shots, but still nothing more on the scoreboard. Bowey had a great chance at the top of the circle, but tried to pass instead of shoot and it was intercepted. Larkin with a great play on the forecheck right in front of Rinne, but he made the save. However, Larkin was hooked on the play so Red Wings going to ANOTHER power play after the 2nd TV timeout.
A minute in to the power play and the Red Wings have spent more time with the puck in their own zone then in Nashville’s zone. Finally they get a chance with the PP expiring as Mantha let one lose that bounced around, through the blue crease, past Rinne and out the other side. Chances galore now for this Red Wing top line. Now Ryan Ellis elbows Larkin and D-Boss is PISSED. Goes right after him and puts him in his place. Good win. Good fight. That’s our (should be) captain! That’s a dirty hit by Ellis all day and clear frustration from Larkin. HAHAHAHA somehow we end up with the penalty now. This game is stupid. Predators score. Chance after chance finally leads to a sprawling Bernier and a free puck for Matt Duchene. 5-1 Predators. Let’s all just play pretend and think the Red Wings score 5 goals and win this game. Maybe that will make this 3rd period easier.
Shots: 22-15 NSH
Score: 5-1 NSH
3rd Period
Great catch by FSD as on the 5th Predators goal the puck hit the netting first before coming down and leading to Duchene’s goal. But, nothing you can do now as the Preds still lead 5-1. Awesome. Preds are just not taking their foot off the gas as most of this 3rd period has been chances from Nashville. Nielsen blocked a shot after losing the face-off and is noticeably hurt skating off. He dropped to a knee to block the shot and the puck hit him on the lower quad right where the knee pad ends. Ouch. Red Wings penalty now. I’m not sure on who. Kudos if you are still reading on this far. 1st TV timeout.
6-1 Predators. Forsberg on the PP. Something tells me we aren’t coming back now.
Larkin takes a dumb penalty, 4-minuter for high-sticking Weber in the face which looked pretty intentional. Red Wings kill it off as Nashville looks like they aren’t trying anymore. No shots on the 4-minute PP too. 5 minutes left, thank God.
Game over. Fire Blashill.
Shots: 26-24 NSH
Score: Bad
