The Wings got killed yesterday so let’s see if they can rise again on Easter against the Panthers on an ESPN broadcast feed that thanks to stupidity I have to watch in standard definition, like we all had to watch back when Michael Bunting was a spry 23 years old.
Spencer Knight against Alex Nedeljkovic in goal.
First Period
Within the first minute Sam Bennett gets a chance on net that causes Adam Erne’s stick to rake across Nedeljkovic’s head and knock him over. Detroit then takes the first penalty as Gustav Lindstrom somehow takes the outside lane on Sam Reinhart and has to hook the Panthers’ player to prevent a scoring chance.
Florida goes 90 seconds without looking dangerous before a very dangerous chance that’s stopped by the fact that it only got dangerous thanks to Carter Verhaege tripping Pius Suter. We go 4-on-4 for a bit. The top unit comes out with Riley Barber on it and he gets a couple interesting looks but nothing doing on this one.
ESPN loses the feed about halfway through the period so I can’t tell you what’s happening. Apparently there’s a Dylan Larkin breakaway that hits the post. The feed comes back with jokes about how their network blew the feed rather than an attempt to describe literally anything that we missed on the ice due to their ineptitude.
Larkin comes off the bench and had a wonderful feed which Adam Erne can’t get past Spencer Knight and things open up a bit for a few. Then Riley Barber heads to the box for an offensive zone tripping penalty. Dylan Larkin nearly scores shorthanded late on the advantage against a tired five-forward lyrics but Knight keeps good position on the rush.
The Wings’ top line gets in with speed and gets interfered with a few times before the ref finally raises an arm (Barkov for holding Bertuzzi) Wings waste a lot of the end of the period with the goalie pulled but start the PP with 41 seconds to go.
Vrana and Zadina get last minute chances but we’ll carry the advantage into the 2nd period.
The Score: 0-0
The Shots: 13-12 Panthers
A song that was popular the last time ESPN was good at covering hockey: Sk8er Boi
Second Period
The fresh ice is fine for the PP but the Wings can’t solve Spencer Knight. Five minutes in, Anthony Duclair breaks the goose eggs with a one-timer off a feed across the circles from Aleksander Barkov. 1-0 Panthers.
3️⃣1️⃣ goals and counting for Anthony Duclair (@aduclair10)!
📺: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/9ZioXLQvHl pic.twitter.com/yYAQ8IykzT
— NHL (@NHL) April 17, 2022
20 seconds later Duclari gets a cut across the crease with the puck and almost doubles the tally.
One minute after that Sam Reinhart does exactly that. Backhand hope clear gets to Huberdeau who feeds it to the middle on what is a 2-on-1. Reinhart 2-0 Panthers.
We’re not sure which is better — the pass or the finish…
📺: @espn ➡️ https://t.co/9ZioXLQvHl pic.twitter.com/Ux9ngVhAEK
— NHL (@NHL) April 17, 2022
Raymond just misses cutting the lead on the follow-up shift. The next notable thing for the Wings is that they have a 3-on-2 rush going through center that doesn’t even gain the zone because Rasmussen has the puck knocked off his stick.
Panthers make it 3-0 on an Anton Lundell rebound shot. Jake Walman has a breakout and instead turns back into his own zone where he’s dispossessed in the corner.
Then I have to look up Maxim Mamin to talk about the fourth panthers goal on the very next shift. 4-0 Panthers and I’m done embedding goal higlights. You can watch them on the league’s site here.
Detroit manages to go the rest of the period without giving up another goal. Filip Zadina puts the only attempt toward the Florida net that isn’t a prayer from 50 feet out that somebody will tip it and Moritz Seider delivers the only body contact of the period that could truly be considered a check and it’s 4-0 heading into the third.
Third Period
Florida keeps outplaying Detroit to start the third. Brandon Montour high-sticks Dylan Larkin and the Wings get another PP chance. That ends with Lucas Raymond turning the puck over, Moritz Seider holding Barkov and Anton Lundell getting his 2nd of the game to make it 5-0 Panthers; this one shorthanded.
The good news is that Seider doesn’t get called for the penalty he was going to take because of the goal and we get to waste the end of the power play the old fashioned way.
Detroit doesn’t do anything particularly inspiring for a while, but 12 minutes into the period, we get our first goal of the weekend as Detroit gains the line with speed on a short odd-man rush. Zadina to Vrana to Pius Suter gets Knight lunging side-to-side and ends with Suter finishing the play to make it 5-1.
Florida doesn’t give Detroit back the puck after the following faceoff and 76 seconds later Gustav Forsling blasts a one-timer past Ned to make it 6-1 Florida.
The rest of the game happens. Hooray!
