Remember scoring goals? Red Wings shutout again and lose 2-0 to Predators.

First Period

Greiss starts off busy with a nice save a minute in. We know how well games go without Bernier so he needs all the good start he can get. Shots are 5-1 Preds after 5 minutes but off-paper the game is looking pretty even.

Well, Helm sure did almost have a goal. Right at the net and to his credit he was able to get the puck out of his feet to his stick but not from stick to the net. Classic Helm. But not because antique classic Helm probably would have scored. Retro Helm?

Larkin tried to bulldoze his way through the Preds since nobody else was coming to help, and it almost worked. Why am I commenting on this? Because nothing else has happened.

Minor panic for Mickey Redmond as Greiss was down and scooted to the bench on his knees but it was a skate blade. In the replay Mick sang him some theme music.

PENALTY KILL TIME! Erne to the Bad Boy Box with 6 minutes to play. The penalty is not killed. The penalty is not even inconvenienced. 1-0 Preds on a goal from Josi. shot from Josi that is tipped in by Granlund.

And nothing else happened. 1-0 and shots 12-8, both favoring the Preds. I am not Jeff Blashill so I am not qualified to analyze and compare “compete level”.

Second Period

A few minutes in and it’s time for a Rrrrrrred Wings powerplay! Merrill falls down in a convincing way and draws a penalty. Arvidsson gripes his way to the Punishment Pen, and he is right he didn’t really do anything, but that’s not our problem. The penalty is killed, you’re welcome Preds.

Remember that Helm not scoring thing I mentioned earlier? That crashing the net and not scoring in the chaos happened again. Namestnikov celebrates the failure by tripping Johansen and going to the Crimes Cabana. Penalty kill time with about 12 minutes to go. Larkin eats up some time being a pest in the Preds’ zone. Helm with a short-handed breakaway and, say it with me, does not score. Penalty kill success!

Almost halfway there and oops Preds score. Olivier makes it 2-0 Preds. I swear the crowd was doing the goalie taunt but saying “Howard”. I heard what I heard.

Just over 7 minutes to go and the Preds score again. Blash is making his thinking face, you only need the eyes and forehead to see it, and is challenging goaltender interference. Greiss gets elbowed in the head so Blash does have a strong case.

WE WIN THE CHALLENGE! No goal! Still 2-0 Preds. Mick is wondering what the crowd is saying in response. Ken pretends it’s “Let’s Go Preds” and no it was “Red Wings Suck”. Ah, the good ol’ days.

Bobby Ryan gets hit from behind and Olivier goes to the Enclosure of Evildoers for cross-checking. Red Wings powerplay with just over 4 minutes to go! Fabbri gets dumped and no call, but seems to be ok. The penalty is killed 🙁

Oops, hot mic!

Third Period

Scoring some goals would be cool. Someone must have told the ref he was caught out, really hesitating to blow that whistle now. The Wings do not have what scientists refer to as “jump”. Which means they have done nothing of note for the first half of the period.

Also nothing to say about the next 5 minutes.

Now Larkin is BIG MAD. He knocks down a domino and Haula goes after him and then to the Habitat of Horribleness for hooking. Larkin has a scrap and is off to the regular old penalty box for roughing. 4v4 begins and Greiss is on the bench. About 4 minutes to go.

2:22 to go and penalties are over with Greiss still on the bench.

1:45 and Fabbro to the Idiot Igloo for a puck over the glass penalty. Red Wings powerplay! It did not work.

Final: 2-0 Preds.

Back at it again on Thursday gang.