No Larkin tonight or tomorrow, sorry gang 🙁
EVGENY SVECHNIKOV IS IN. Playing on a line with Nielsen and Filppula.
First Period
Not much to report the first few minutes, it’s pretty chippy out there, lots of back and forth without much real passing. Five minutes in and Bernier is starting to get busy but still no real close calls. The Wings are just exploring the space and getting the vibe before they decide how to set up some shots.
Closing in on the 10 minute mark and Bernier is starting to consider penning a strongly worded letter to the rest of the team about puck control. Shots are 10-2 Chicago.
If you drank some ginger ale every time Mickey praised Kane you’d already be out of your mind enough to not be annoyed about it.
BOOM. BOBBY RYAN SCORES! You don’t need a lot of shots you just need them to go in the net. 1-0 Wings at the halfway point. Bobby assisted by Robby and Danny DK.
Wings have picked up the pace after the goal. No standout plays but the general hustle, heart and GRIT factors are all improved.
That’ll do it for the first. Shots 13-7 Chicago but score 1-0 Wings. This is the kind of hockey a .500 team would play. Nice and average. Good job.
Second Period
Noticeably faster start compared to the first for both teams. Best chance of the first 5 minutes is a bouncy puck ending up with Fabbri but he couldn’t quite catch it for the open net. Story of our season.
Bernier makes a snappy save on Patrick Kane who is looking for goal #400 so says Ken Daniels. They can’t stop talking about him. Reminder this is a Red Wings broadcast and the Red Wings are winning you can be homers. I am going to scream.
It’s fine.
Halfway through and the Wings having a little bit of a breakdown. LGD has been on the ice for 2 minutes now because Wings could not clear the puck. It looked like a penalty kill. But Bernier is having none of it and we are still winning.
We started the period in attack mode and have shifted into survival mode. Not how you want to play but I’m not the coach.
Robby Fabbri dumps himself to the ice trying to do a jump move around another player. He really went splat. Ouch.
6 minutes to go and DeBrincat absolutely clowns us on a line change and snaps a laser shot right by Bernier. Tie game 1-1.
But then a few seconds later…DARREN HELM!!!! 2-1 Wings. He was showing some glimpses of Old Tyme Helm earlier in the game and now we’re here. The Hawks really do bring out the best in him.
2.5 minutes to go and it’s TIME FOR A RRRRRRRRED WINGS POWERPLAY! We are successfully playing keep away on the delayed penalty for a solid amount of time. It’s nice to be on the other side of it for once, even if nothing comes of it but wasting some time. Calvin de Haan to the Bad Boy Box for hooking against Mantha.
You guys.
We did it.
WE DID IT.
POWERPLAY GOAL!!!! Our long divisional nightmare is over. The Streak is dead. CHRISTIAN DJOOS. 3-1 Wings! Big. Sip.
40 failed powerplays in a row and now we got one. Phew. Onward to the third with the (dreaded) two goal lead!
John Keating describes the powerplay success as: “A monkey-ectomy. The removal of a monkey.”
Third Period
LET’S F*&KING GO GANG. SVECHNIKOV SCORES!!!!!!! 4-1 Red Wings.
It was way more difficult than it needed to be but persistence pays off.
Old Friend Alert: Mattias Janmark scores. 4-2 Wings.
We’re only 5 minutes in.
Bernier making some big saves to keep this lead safe.
And he gets some help…from…
FRANS. FREAKING. NIELSEN.
Yes, Frans Nielsen scores and it’s 5-2 Wings!
10 minutes to go. 3 goal lead for the Wings and 33-29 shots in favor of the Hawks.
Bernier is having NONE of what Patrick Kane is trying to dish out. Highway robbery all night every night. The goals have been the story of the game but Bernier has been doing WORK.
Adam Erne is sent to the Delinquent Dungeon for Sports Criminals for boarding against Ian Mitchell and the Wings are on their first penalty kill of the night. Penalty killed! The worst powerplay succeeded and the best powerplay failed. Love to see it.
Just to be annoying, a crappy bounce off the glass sets up an easy Hawks goal right at the end but who cares except Mickey Redmond’s Light the Lamp dreams?
RED WINGS WIN 5-3.