Let’s bounce back, shall we? Less than 24 hours after dropping their third straight game at home to Vegas, the Red Wings travel to Columbus for their second matchup of the season with the Blue Jackets. It’s a great opportunity for them to get back on track as their last trip to Columbus was a 6-1 domination just a couple of weeks ago.
It won’t be as easy of a matchup this time around, however. Columbus got back forward Patrik Laine on Friday against Winnipeg and his two goals played a massive part in their win over one of the best teams in the West. They’ll look for better play from their defense to keep him at bay and hopefully not leave him wide open in front of the net like they did with Eichel last night.
Manning the net for the Red Wings will be Ville Husso, starting for the second consecutive night. Not sure if that’s more of a vote of confidence for Husso or an indictment on Nedeljkovic’s play, but he has been far and away the better netminder for Detroit this season and I’m never gonna complain about seeing him in net. It’ll be Joonas Korpisalo in goal for Columbus tonight, who was in net for the 6-1 drubbing in November. He’s coming off a night in Winnipeg where he stopped 37 of 38 shots, so he has some positive momentum coming in. Let’s get going and start the road trip on a high note.
1st Period
There’s a huge moment early on that nearly leads to a Red Wing goal without any kind of Red Wings involvement. A pass from Columbus goes awry off of Laine’s skate and nearly ends up behind Korpisalo, but hits off either the post or the outside of the net just by it. The Blue Jackets get their first chance about three and a half minutes in after a bad defensive zone turnover, but Husso comes up with the save.
A bit of slow play following that chance as the team defense stepped up. Then the Red Wings fourth line makes a chance after a great stop at the blue line by Olli Määttä. He feeds it to Jonatan Berggren at the hash marks who fires a pass to Austin Czarnik WHO REDIRECTS IT PAST KORPISALO AND SCORES!!! 1-0 RED WINGS ON CZARNIK’S SECOND OF THE SEASON!!!
Berggren picks up another assist on the goal as the rookie continues to play very well since his call-up. It was a brilliant feed in front and Czarnik, who had great numbers against Columbus last season, comes up big to give the Red Wings the lead. It’s the kind of depth scoring the Red Wings still need as it’s something they’ve missed throughout the season. Määttä also picks up his sixth assist of the season.
The play goes back and forth afterwards as neither team really grabs offensive control or creates any quality chances. The first TV timeout finally comes at the 9:22 mark of the first with Detroit leading the shots 6-5 and the goal count 1-0. Coming out of the break, we see just one shot by Andrew Copp hit the target before we get another stoppage of play and get the second TV timeout of the period.
Over the next two minutes, we see neither team get a chance or much of a shot. The closest thing for either team is a puck being floated in from the point by the Blue Jackets that Husso swats away before the Columbus forward can get to it. Mo Seider finally gets a wrist shot from the point to find the target but it deflects up off Korpisalo into the netting as we get our final TV timeout.
Michael Rasmussen gets what looks like it’s going to be a good chance after some nice moves through defenders, but he misses the net well wide with a backhand. Shortly after, a bad Filip Hronek blind pass gives the Jackets a fantastic chance with Boone Jenner found backdoor. However, Husso comes up big and there’s either a “HUUUUUUSSSSS” or “BOOOOOOONE” chant and I’m not sure which one.
Right after this, Joe Veleno gets a break with Berggren but gets pulled down with a hook by Cole Sillinger for their first power play of the game. The Red Wings quickly get two chances on a Kubalik one-timer and a Sundqvist shot, but Korpisalo stops both. After a faceoff, David Perron backhand passes it to Hronek through traffic. Hronek finds Kubalik in the right circle for a one-timer AND HE BLASTS IT HOME!!! A MASSIVE SLAPSHOT ON THE POWER PLAY GIVES THE RED WINGS A 2-0 LEAD!!!
Kubalik picks up his tenth of the season on the goal. Hronek gets another assist to bring his total to 15 as well as Perron who is now up to 11. The Blue Jackets then send the Red Wings on the power play immediately after this as Marcus Bjork picks up a hooking minor. Right away, the Red Wings are threatening again as Perron fires a shot from the left circle off the goalpost. After that, the Red Wings can’t get much going and the power play ends with 15 seconds left in the period.
Detroit gets one last chance as a Hronek shot from the point leads to a loose puck in front that Pius Suter finds. He gets a shot on net and then falls over Korpisalo which leaves a chance for Rasmussen who misses the net wide. It might not have counted but no way of knowing. The period ends with shots 13-8 for Detroit and with a 2-0 lead as well. A great period with a slow bit in the middle. The five-on-five offensive play needs to be better but the power play still looks fantastic.
2nd Period
The Red Wings immediately get a great chance off the opening draw of the second with Copp streaking up the right side, forcing Korpisalo to make a nice glove save. Columbus goes right back the other way and gets a shot themselves, but Husso makes the save. Play slows down after those quick chances as we see just a couple of easy-to-handle chances from Columbus over the next few minutes. They’re focusing a lot on Berggren’s play during the breaks and honestly, it’s deserved. He’s playing a great game.
Just past the 15-minute mark, we see Perron make a fantastic play to bait Gavin Bayreuther into a holding call. The Red Wings go on their third power play of the game and we’ll hope to see the same unit that we saw on their first attempt. Detroit is struggling to get possession when Jack Roslovic trips Dylan Larkin to make it a five-on-three for 1:09. They get a decent chance early as Larkin tosses a puck in front, but Korpisalso covers it up. It leads to a massive scrum after Jenner bowls over Sundqvist after the whistle. Somehow neither team gets a penalty which I guess is ok?
They get a good chance for a Larkin one-timer and Korpisalo makes the save. The puck comes back around to Hronek who baits the Columbus defender, makes a perfect pass to Lucas Raymond WHO BURIES IT OFF KORPISALO’S PAD AND IN!!! 3-0 RED WINGS ON RAYMOND’S FIRST IN TEN GAMES!!!
Not only is that his first in ten games, but it’s also his first goal on the road. He’s also broken each of his long goal droughts with me doing the recap and surely that’s not just a coincidence. Hronek and Perron each pick up their second assist of the game as they continue to produce on the power play. The final minute of the power play goes without much going and a freeze by Korpisalo sends us to the first media timeout.
Coming out of the break, we get a really good chance for Detroit as Pius Suter gets a mini breakaway, but Korpisalo makes the save. Immediately after that, Columbus gets a three-on-one but can’t come up with a big chance thanks to a great defensive play by Hronek. The play slows down a bit after this as we get some good zone defense from both sides. We get a stoppage in play and head into the second media timeout with Detroit still up 3-0.
Shortly after returning, the Red Wings finally pick up their first penalty as Sundqvist picks up a holding call. The Blue Jackets end up with possession for nearly a minute and a half after the hand went up and it went so long that by the time the penalty is finally called, it was now time for the last TV timeout. We’ll head into the last section of the second period with Columbus on their first power play of the game.
The Columbus power play has been one of the worst in the NHL, but getting Laine back could make a difference. He plays a part in their first chance as it was his pass that leads to a Johnny Gaudreau shot that hits the side of the net. Jenner then gets the puck in the corner and passes it to Bjork at the top of the umbrella. Bjork shoots and Jenner makes a perfect screen on Husso who never sees the puck and it finds the back of the net. 3-1 Red Wings after Bjork scores his second of the season.
The Red Wings quickly get a chance once again created by Berggen by Czarnik can’t beat Korpisalo. Coming back the other way and the Blue Jackets get a prime opportunity with Gaudreau rifling one off the bar. The momentum is quickly swinging in favor of the home team and a goal would be great to cancel that out. There’s a bit of an awkward moment where a whistle blows and a scrum ensues, but in the end, Perron picks up a holding-the-stick penalty to send Columbus back on the power play which is basically the opposite of what I just said Detroit needed.
Early on, Dylan Larkin loses a stick and decides to go get one from the bench, leaving the team at five-on-three momentarily. The Blue Jackets do get a chance out of it, but Husso comes up big. The Red Wings get a couple of clearing rushes up the ice but neither leads to much. Jenner then gets Columbus another great chance with a pass in front that gets tipped on net but Husso makes the stop again. The Blue Jackets get another couple of shots but neither finds the target and the period ends with 18 seconds remaining on the power play.
The Red Wings had a couple of moments early in the second that looked like early in the second of their 6-1 win. It seemed like the Blue Jackets were gaining control but then the Red Wings grabbed momentum with a big goal. This time, however, they didn’t maintain that momentum and Columbus really grabbed it there with the power play goal. Shots ended up 11-10 for Detroit for the period and are now 24-18 for the game. They need to come out firing to start the third or they’re gonna open things up for the Blue Jackets to get back into the game.
3rd Period
The power play comes to an end with very little drama. About a minute in, Yegor Chinakov comes up the left side and fires a wrist shot that Husso makes a great save on. Shortly after, Gaudreau makes a nice play skating around the entirety of the offensive zone and finds Kent Johnson in front from behind the net who scores. An excellent play by Gaudreau and just like that, it’s a 3-2 game. The Red Wings need to step it up badly as all the momentum is going the way of the home team.
After some more control by the Blue Jackets, the Red Wings get a rush up the ice and it looks like it’s offside. They say it’s on and Dylan Larkin fires a wrist shot and absolutely snipes Korpisalo. I’d be more excited, but it absolutely looks like Perron is offside and I don’t think there’s a way they don’t overturn it. Sure enough, they do. An absolutely beautiful shot by Larkin gets wasted and the game remains 3-2.
A scary moment for the Red Wings shortly after as a wrist shot from Jenner hits Ben Chiarot right in the palm or wrist or somewhere. Either way, he throws his glove off and he’s clearly in pain. We’ll see the outcome but based on that reaction, it doesn’t look good. Larkin gets a chance at redemption shortly after but he’s unable to get the shot to the net. Shots are now 25-24 for Detroit as Columbus still has the momentum. Berggren gets a shot on goal that pops up into the netting and we get the first media timeout.
Copp wins the draw and then gets the puck back from Määttä behind the goal line. He throws it at the net AND IT GOES OFF KORPISALO’S SHOULDER AND IN!!! 4-2 RED WINGS ON A GOAL THAT REALLY SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED!!! That is a great idea by Copp but Korpisalo should never give him that space there. An awful piece of goaltending and the Red Wings benefit from it. Määttä gets his second assist of the game and seventh of the season while Sundqvist gets his seventh as well. Määttä now has nine points on the season which surpasses his entire total from last year in Los Angeles.
This Columbus crowd got really quiet really fast. This is the same level of sound from the 6-1 game but it’s a 4-2 game with around ten minutes to play. The Red Wings get the next big chance and really should’ve had a goal. A loose puck in front ends up on the stick of Perron who has a wide-open net and he misses wide. How he missed that, I have no idea. Maybe a replay will help but jeez, at first glance, that looked like he should’ve had it. We then head into the second media timeout with the score still at 4-2.
Right out of the break, some lazy puck movement and a sloppy pass from Columbus gives the Red Wings a great chance. Rasmussen picks off the pass and Suter gets a good look but Korpisalo makes the save. Kubalik gets a chance himself and tries to go from behind the net like Copp, but Korpisalo prevents the rebound. A shot from Veleno from the circle brings the Red Wings to 30 on the game but the scores stays at 4-2. Sidenote, Chiarot is back on the ice so it appears he’s at least good enough to play.
Coming out of the break, Columbus gets a phenomenal chance in front but Husso comes up huge. Immediately after, Chinakov picks up a hooking minor to send the Red Wings on the power play with just under five to play. Ken Daniels also made a horrendous pun with Chinakov’s name and I just wanted to point that fact out because it was really bad but made me chuckle a bit.
The Red Wings get a couple of shots early but nothing too threatening. They corner themselves a bit, giving themselves nowhere to move which leads to a turnover and the puck out of the zone. They don’t get much going after that as the second unit can’t create a chance. There’s just over two and a half minutes left and Korpisalo heads to the bench. The Red Wings get a chance at the empty netter but it instead ends up a Suter penalty as he pulls Gaudreau to the ice. Sidenote, Ken just made up for his horrific pun by questioning the penalty before the replay and then commented that he’s stepping on Mick’s turf. I’m dying over here.
Early on, Columbus gets an incredible chance to make it a one-shot game. Gaudreas is found wide open in front and either Husso makes an incredible save or Gaudreau just put it right into his pads. Either way, a massive break for Detroit as we head into the final minute. There’s another great chance for Jenner in front but Husso comes up big once again. They get a couple more chances but have shockingly little urgency for a team down two, not one. The horn sounds and that’s how the game ends. A 4-2 Red Wings win and a great start to the road trip.
Final Thoughts
A nice win for Detroit that they needed following that rough end to the homestand. Columbus outshot them 16-11 in the third for a 35-34 Red Wings lead in the category, but excellent play from Husso and a couple of missed chances gets Detroit across the line. That goal by Copp really was a backbreaker for the Blue Jackets who just couldn’t get things going after that. They had all the momentum coming out of the second period but that deflated the team and deflated the fans in the building.
Shoutout to Hronek for proving the lack of stache has not slowed him down. Outside of a rough turnover early on, it was a pretty great game for #17 who picks up two more assists on the season. His 22 points put him in the top ten for all defensemen in the NHL above the likes of Alex Pietrangelo and Roman Josi. That’s some damn good company. Also shoutout to Berggren who had a great game and continues to play well enough to justify never returning to Grand Rapids. They talked about it all night on commentary and rightfully so.
Lastly, a shoutout to Ville Husso who got the bounce-back performance he needed after a rough night against Toronto. It was a great performance with neither goal truly being on him. The Red Wings will have to step it up though as they now head to Florida to take on both the Panthers and Lightning before going to take on the Dallas Stars. Those are gonna be much tougher games than the Blue Jackets. Until then, have a good night friends.