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Wings Can’t Take Advantage of Chances: Chicago 2, Detroit 0

Let’s see how rusty these recap muscles are. Wait, muscles don’t get rusty. We’re off to a good start!

Wasn’t too happy I couldn’t get the FSD feed until I realized its Mike Tirico on play-by-play on NBCSN. I’ll take it.

First Period

Marc Staal gets pulled down leading the rush and crashes into the net on the first shift. For a minute, I was worried the officials were going to call a penalty.

Detroit gets the first few chances of the game, but nothing doing. I forgot how annoying it is that NBCSN doesn’t have a shot clock for some reason. Detroit’s gotta be ahead in shots by a lot early on.

I haven’t been able to watch the last few games, but Marc Staal looks a lot better than in the beginning of the season. He’s been noticeable in a positive way.

Troy Stecher takes the game’s first penalty, but Dominik Kubalik gets called for embellishing, and we go to four on four for two minutes.

Chicago had the best chance, but Detroit still looks good overall. They look like the better team through the first 7 minutes of the period.

Brome takes the puck hard to the net, but he isn’t able to score his first goal. Detroit gets another chance on the follow up, but it still doesn’t go in. Halfway through the game, Detroit has gotten the vast majority of the game’s best chances.

Pius Suter sends a pass off the boards to Kane, but Bernier makes a good save. Chicago’s been narrowing the gap between teams for dangerous chances.

Namestnikov throws a puck to the net with Gagner in front, and for a second it looks like it may have gone through Lankinen, but it was not to be.

Chicago gets the better of the chances for the next few minutes leading into the final TV timeout of the period. Detroit was doing better at making good passes earlier in the period, but not so much the last few minutes, which is not helping (duh).

With ten second left, Robby Fabbri had a glorious opportunity off of a play by Bobby Ryan behind the net. He somehow just missed it.

Shots are even at 9 at the end of the first period. Detroit was the better team overall, but not by a lot. Chicago also had a period of several minutes where Detroit is a little lucky not to give up a goal. Bernier was solid.

Detroit had the better of possession at 5v5, which was all but the two minutes the teams were 4v4.

Detroit led the Blackhawks in expected goals for, according to Evolving Hockey 0.83 to 0.43.

Second Period

Apparently one of the Blackhawk young forwards fell asleep outside the locker room and everyone heard.

That’s right, Pius snored in the halls.

Speaking of Pius, Suter took down Merrill behind the Chicago net, and Detroit goes to the game’s first power play.

It looked better than it has. There were a couple bad ideas early on, but the second half was much better. Zadina hit the post on a one-timer. He and Mantha both missed the net on one-timers later.

Shortly after the power play ended it looked like Kane was going to score the first goal of the game, but he couldn’t put it in after stickhandling around Bernier. Detroit then took a penalty, and Chicago heads to the power play.

Chicago helps Detroit kill the penalty by putting an extra player on the ice. That’s still illegal, and we go 4 on 4 for 45 seconds, then Detroit will have their second man advantage.

Chicago gets a good shorthanded chance, but Mantha’s backchecking bails the Wings out.

Filppula takes a penalty, and after no penalties for so long, both teams are making up for lost time.

Kurashev scores a highlight reel goal on the power play to break the tie. He beat Stecher and Merrill, then deked Bernier before sliding it five hole.

The last penalty kill went so well, Detroit decides to do it again.

This time, there were no goals of the highlight reel variety or any other variety. Still 1-0 with a couple minutes left.

Bobby Ryan nearly puts a shot past Lankinen in the last minute, but the goalie keeps the clean sheet.

The period ends with Chicago up 1-0. Shots are 19-18 in favor of Detroit, but Chicago felt like the better team in the period.

Detroit still leads in expected goals for 1.87 to 1.09.

Third Period

Christian Djoos nearly ties the game a couple minutes in as he carries the puck in closer rather than shoot from the point. He’s done that a few times lately, and he should keep doing it.

Detroit starts to turn it on, and is definitely the better team seven minutes into the period.

Mantha has been moved to Larkin’s line. This happened earlier in the game, but I didn’t catch when the change was made.

Halfway through the period Calvin de Haan takes out Bobby Ryan, and Detroit heads to another power play.

Detroit has more scoring chances in the first 30 seconds of the power play than they have in entire games with the man advantage this season, but they can’t put the puck in the goal.

You have to start to wonder what witch the Red Wings accidentally offended because they end the power play not having scored for the thirtieth straight time.

I have NO idea how Detroit didn’t score with just under five minutes left. Christian Djoos stickhandled around the goalie but ran out of room to tuck it in. He threw it into the slot and Ryan couldn’t jam it in.

Detroit pulls the goalie and Robby Fabbri turns the puck over on a horrible pass. Chicago goes the other way and DeBrincat scores in the empty net. 2-0.

This will end up as another game that Detroit could have won. They were the better team for large stretches of time, but they couldn’t take advantage of their chances. Chicago had one moment of brilliance, and that was enough. A frustrating way to lose.

Detroit ends up with 2.88 expected goals for compared to Chicago’s 1.88. They did a good job limiting Chicago’s chances. Well, except for that one time.

Here’s the final look at 5v5 score and venue adjusted Corsi for the game.

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