2023 comes to a close with the Wings playing host to a bunch of bums from Beantown. Veleno and Fischer return, so with the exception of Ville Husso, Detroit is more or less fully healthy for the first time in a month. LGRW!
1st Period
Two minutes in, the Bruins establish some sustained pressure. It wasn’t ideal of course, but the Wings did a good job playing man defense and did well to limit any high-danger chances against. The next shift, Larkin’s line got similarly hemmed in, but that shift also ended with Lyon making a fairly stress-free glove save. Maatta’s stick broke in the offensive zone a couple shifts later, resulting in a odd-man rush for the Bruins. Maatta very legally interfered with Brad the Licker and Husso made a high quality stick save and we’re off to the first commercial break still scoreless.
Perron turns a nice takeaway behind the Bruins net into a real dangerous chance for a streaking Walman. Off the rebound, Seider completely whiffed on the puck leading to another odd man rush for the bad guys. Lyon was aggressive on the save to keep the game tied. Two shifts later, DeBrusk got caught using a free hand on a backchecking Fischer and we’re off to a RRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY!
Larkin, Cat, Compher, Kane, and Gostisbehere move the puck beautifully to start. Debrincat nearly gets one right off the jump, but Swayman has big toes. The unit looked quite dangerous for the rest of their shift but were unable to convert. The second unit looked decidedly less powerful, and the penalty is killed.
The next shift predictably resulted in pressure from the Bruins. Chiarot had a few strong moments of defense in front of Lyon, followed by several strong moments to Geekie’s face. Geekie totally started it, but I’m fully expecting the Wings to be on a penalty kill for no reason when we get back from these commercials I’ve totally never seen before.
Dave Coulier is in the booth wearing a Redmond sweater and he definitely should not cut. it. out.
Yep, Wings are on the kill. Lyon starts things off with a spectacular stretch save on Coyle. After that, Larkin’s kill unit buckled down beautifully. Boston is unable to get another shot away and we’re back to even strength.
No we’re not, Petry got tripped behind his own net and after 30 seconds of a listless 6-on-5, we’re headed to another RRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY!
Same top unit and their puck movement is still phenomenal. Compher at the net front nearly gets one, but Swayman put four parts of his body on the puck to just cause it to hit the crossbar and stay out. The Wings decide on a couple of drop passes to waste a full minute of the man advantage. Larkin finally gets a shot on goal and there’s another punch-filled scrum at a net after a whistle and Mickey is telling the refs to do their jobs. Debrincat and McAvoy go to the box with offsetting penalties. Sure.
30 seconds remain on the 5-on-4 but the Wings can’t even gain the zone so that’ll do it. The next shift ends with Petry and Pastrnak exchanging pleasantries, and you can really feel the holiday spirit. Rasmussen has his stick shattered by a Bruin, makes a terrific kick play to help get the puck out of his zone, gets a new twig, and gets blatantly held on the ensuing rush all with no whistle. I just realized this is the same officiating crew from the Lions-Cowboys game.
Pastrnak flips a puck out of his d-zone to catch a streaking Frederic on a breakaway. Frederic not only scores a brutal goal on a near impossible backhand, but he collides violently with Lyon’s head and Lyon is down on the ice – conscious, but in obvious discomfort – for an extended time. After a few minutes, Lyon convinces everyone to disregard concussion protocol and stays in.
End 1. BOS 1 – DRW 0
2nd Period
Lyon indeed remains in net, thank goodness. Newsy is starting the second period with Moose, Copp, Fischer, Chiarot, and Petry. Marchand’s line gets some pressure after a very poor neutral zone turnover. The Bruins return the favor in their own end and Larkin gets a shot off uncontested from the slot but Swayman remains impenetrable to this point. Larkin gets another great look moments off the ensuing faceoff for another Swayman save. Things are still as chippy as they were last period.
A couple of minutes of pretty decent hockey gets completely ruined by another Frederic goal. Lyon is going to want that one back, but it did seem to just glance off Chiarot’s skates. Tough goal at a tough time.
BOS 2 – DRW 0
The Wings follow up with some sustained possession including some beautiful stick work from Kane but no real goal scoring threats. As soon as the Bruins reestablish possession, they get a couple of looks and Lyon just makes a kick save to prevent a hat trick for Frederick. Larkin’s line two shifts later looks as threatening as the Wings have all game, but still nothing to show for it. 31 minutes remain for the Wings to score four so they have a shot at win today.
After the commercial break, a Red Wings defensive lapse results in a wide open point blank opportunity for the Bruins that thankfully hits the post after Lyon just gets a blocker on it. The Wings get a couple of opportunities for a dirty goal, and the refs call the Pastrnak’s third cross check of the night on Rasmussen and it’s time for another RRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY.
Once again, good puck movement, a couple of good looks, and nothing behind Swayman to start the man advantage. Larkin is working his ass off to make things happen and, even though the refs have really swallowed their whistles today, the credit has to go to Swayman at this point. The second PP unit had their best effort of the night so far, but still nothing to show for it. 7 minutes remain in the middle frame.
Straight out of the commercial break is a handful of puck bumbling pokes on both sides, but Raymond takes control, goes across ice to the Captain who feeds Walman at the top of the circle. Jake snipes it far top corner past Swayman!
BOS 2 – DRW 1
Maatta and Gostisbehere do their best to keep the scoring-from-the-blueline theme a-going. It seemed for a fleeting moment that the Wings might have the Bruins on their heels a little bit but Marchand’s line came out and negated that momentum immediately. Lyon made a couple of good saves and somehow it’s already time for more new commercials.
The Wings nearly got caught on a lazy change, but no harm no foul. At the other end of the ice, Veleno makes a great play off the boards to Copp who feeds Chiarot who hammers it home! Swayman is immediately visibly irate about something. Upon replay, it sure looks like Rasmussen’s stick makes contact with Swayman’s trapper. Swayman is outside of the crease when contact occurs, and Carlo certainly contributed to the contact, but the Bruins are challenging anyway. Ken and Mick have all the reasons why the goal should stand, but this review is taking quite a long time. Mick says, “It is New Year’s Eve and we’ve got somewhere to be, let’s go!” It’s a New Year’s Eve Miracle! The goal is confirmed due to the interference occurring outside of the crease and we’re off to a RRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY!
BOS 2 – DRW 2
Another power play, some more great puck movement, and Swayman making another big save on Debrincat look routine. And yet again, after the first big rush, the top unit leaves empty handed and the second unit accomplishes nothing. Well, not nothing, as Sprong is getting himself a couple of PIMs for a trip. The Wings will have what they hope is a full 90 second kill shortly. Veleno takes the 4-on-4 d-zone draw with Raymond, Chiarot, and Petry. Veleno has looked really strong on the dot and had a real nice individual effort until his skate betrayed him. The ensuing rush back required Lyon to make a real squeaky save on Pastrnak and it’s officially kill time.
Copp and Compher do some great work at the point. A weird puck nearly floats over Lyon and into the net but Lyon grabbed it. I bet that puck would’ve scared the living hell out of James Reimer. Lyon makes another save on a big boom from Pastrnak and a good stick from Moose brings the middle stanza to a close.
End 2 BOS 2 – DRW 2
3rd Period
Boston starts the period with several seconds remaining on the power play but can’t take advantage of the fresh ice. Raymond takes a great pass from Maatta and gets tripped at the blue line negating a 2-on-1 with Walman but there’s nary an arm in the air. Total aside here, but I really hope they keep doing Walman Griddy Bobblehead giveaways forever, because the promos make me happy.
Compher, Cat, and Maatta play keepaway in the Bruin’s zone for a nice while, but nothing comes of it. Another slow change from the Wings leads to Pastrnak walking all the way into the low slot, but Walman appears at the last second to negate what would surely be a goal considering the puck carrier. Moments later, the Wings ice the puck. Konstantinov gets shown celebrating New Year’s on the jumbotron. Love ya, Vladdy. But then Larkin loses the d-zone draw and Coyle buries a Marchand feed.
BOS 3 – DRW 2
Seider hasn’t been overly noteworthy in this game. That’s mostly a good thing defensively, mostly a bad thing offensively. For the third time this game, a play by Seider at the right point results in a rush against. The Wings would do well to get him going offensively and stop shooting the puck into the shin pads of the guy immediately in front of him.
13 minutes remain coming out of the commercial break. The Kane-Cat-Compher line looks skilled but generally unthreatening as they have all game. Mcavoy continues throwing extracurriculars and I don’t like him. Chiarot delivers a facewash that I thoroughly enjoyed. That holiday spirit remains alive and well. Raymond threw a good check behind Swayman that led to a nice scoring chance for Walman. Raymond’s shift ended with a tussle with Zacha right in front of Mickey Raymond who audibly laugh-snorted on the broadcast after the kerfuffle. The next two minutes are relatively uneventful with the exception of a save by Lyon he didn’t know he made. 8 minutes to go.
Out of the commercial, Dylan gets dumped and Perron goes in to retaliate and I’m shouting at the screen for him to remain calm. RRRRRED WINGS POWER PLAY!!
Finally, the Red Wings don’t win the first faceoff of the power play which we all know is a bad thing to do. 38 seconds in a floater from Ghost is easily grabbed by Swayman. Another faceoff lost, but stays in the zone, but Cat plays the puck with a high stick and out of the zone it comes. The second unit comes on presumably to make amends, but that’s not what it looked like they were trying to do. Red Wings 0-for-4 on the power play.
Veleno and Rasmussen have another solid shift, but Swayman is not the type of goalie to give up nonsense goals from sharp angles. Four and a half minutes remain. The Bruins are playing just to protect the lead. Raymond nearly rips one on net. Chiarot makes another misplay on a pinch resulting in a 3-on-1 that the Bruins thankfully waste, and shortly thereafter, the Bruins ice the puck with two and a half remaining. Lyon heads to the bench. Lalonde tries to stall a little bit to give his skaters some rest so that he can save his timeout for next year. Swayman makes a huge save on Larkin amidst some serious chaos, the puck finds Debrusk’s stick out of it all and he puts home the empty netter from center ice.
BOS 4 – DRW 2
Lyon gets pulled again. Rasmussen gets tripped again. 6-on-4 with 90 seconds to go. It only takes 8 seconds for the genius of Alex Tanguay to prevail. J.T. Compher cleans up the garbage in front of Swayman!
BOS 4 – DRW 3
Lyon is now as intimately familiar with the route to the bench as an expecting father is with the route to the hospital. Marchand tries to make a 180-footer and ices it with 99 seconds to go, but the Wings fail to establish control on the faceoff. 45 seconds to go and the Red Wings are doing drop passes in the neutral zone. Zacha with the empty netter.
Final Score: BOS 5 – DRW 3
Final Thoughts:
The Wings played well. Swayman played better. Ghost had a rough game. Sprong, too. But overall, I thought the Wings played solid team hockey and did well to have a chance to win this one right up to the end. Personally, I’ve got some huge question marks involving this coaching staff right now, but ultimately, the Wings played well against a tough opponent and all that matters now is this cursed month of hockey is mercifully over. These past two games were far and away the best two-game stretch the Red Wings have played since the end of November, so there is plenty to be encouraged about looking forward to January.
Happy New Year, everyone! Stay safe and we’ll see you here for a wonderful 2024! LGRW
