You’ll know if ESPN+ has hacked this recap if you see Connor McDavid’s name typed over and over and over and over and over and over and over. If you took a drink for every time Connor McDavid’s name was said you would be dead by puck drop.
The Red Wings are playing in this game too and it’s in Detroit.
First Period
Took 6 minutes but the Wings finally got a dangerous chance. It was so dangerous that the broadcasters actually criticized Connor McDavid for not paying attention to Seider. The Wings have woken up, they weren’t totally asleep but they weren’t quite in sync with each other (understandable after a long break).
Despite the best efforts of the broadcast, THE RED WINGS SCORE! Tyler Bertuzzi makes it 1-0 halfway through the first, his 2nd goal of the season. Another apple for Raymond. Larkin set the table and a stick tap to Seider for kicking off the whole sequence.
Fabbri misses a chance that will haunt his every waking hour. Wide open net, so close he’s almost in the paint, and whiffs on it. Kubalik gets cross-checked by Evander Kane, which is ok apparently! However, the Wings will get the first powerplay of the game as Tyler Bertuzzi draws a penalty. Kulak in the Bad Boy Box with 4 minutes to go.
The tides have turned on the broadcast as the Wings are praising the youth movement in general, Seider, and Bertuzzi. Clank, Seider hits the post. Scary moment as the Oilers get a shorthanded chance but Husso makes a save and smartly keeps the play moving without a whistle. Other than that hiccup, not a bad powerplay but nothing for it.
That’ll do it for the first, Wings lead 1-0. Took a few minutes for them to get settled in but overall not a bad period for the Wings.
Interesting random factoid from the broadcast, McDavid averages 44 seconds of puck possession per period. He had 14 this time.
Second Period
One minute in and both Fabbri and Kulak head to their Crimes Cabana after Kulak was hanging all over Fabbri for quite a while until Fabbri had enough and kind of grabbed his face and sat him down on the ice. Worth it.
ESPN+ is continuing to turn to the Wings side with the praise and general attention. After the obligatory “how do you defend McDavid 4 on 4?” They were able to defend McDavid but were not able to stop McLeod. Tie game. Uh-oh, here we go. Nugent-Hopkins and Foegele get a 2-on-1 and make it count. 30 seconds after the first goal and it’s 2-1 Oilers.
A few seconds later and Rasmussen gets cross-checked in front of the Wings bench which is a penalty this time and sends Ryan to the Jerk Jail. Yet again the Oilers get a short-handed chance but Husso and some luck save the day. A tough powerplay for the Wings.
That gets us 6 minutes in.
Bertuzzi is finally looking like himself as he’s been ramping up after the injury, the junkyard dog is back.
Things are going better for the Wings as we head to the halfway point, it’s pretty much all Wings right now with over one minute of time in the Oilers zone. Not scoring, but a heck of a shift. And yes, McDavid was there. Campbell has been pretty sharp in net so far.
Unfortunately, the Oilers score again on a long shot from Densharnais at the blueline that gets deflected into the net. Copp definitely had a piece of it. 3-1 Oilers with 8 minutes to go. A few seconds later and Seider is taking his turn in the Timeout Terrarium for interference and Wings are on the penalty kill. Penalty killed!
After a couple minutes of pretty good work, Wings take another penalty. Ras in the Evildoer Enclosure this time. The “best powerplay in the league” is shut down and VELENO SCOOOOOOOOOOORES with a few seconds to go.
That does it and we head into the third down 3-2. There is an all-hands-on-deck scuffle after that takes a while to break up. Evander Kane is throwing a fit about something even though he started it by giving Hronek a crosscheck in the hip after time had expired. ESPN says Hronek must have done something to set him off, as if Kane has historically been a chill guy with strong impulse control who never starts anything.
Third Period
After the shenanigans ending the second, the Wings are starting the period on the powerplay! Kane is in the Loser Locker. The powerplay is not good, they just couldn’t get anything set up, but no harm done either.
HUUUUSSSSSSSS big save on McDavid as the broadcasters almost pee their pants in excitement.
Another team scrum breaks out after Seider is called for a tripping penalty against Kane. Kane goes slightly ballistic and Larkin ends up in it, Bertuzzi jumps in to defend Larkin and breaks his stick scuffling with Kane (junkyard dog in attack mode), and Kane ends up in the Dumb-Dumb Den with Seider and Bert in the Angst Asylum. Oilers powerplay with 13 minutes to go. The penalty is killed. The “best powerplay in the league” is now 0-3.
10 minutes for the Wings to find a goal, they’re playing well so far but Campbell has been sharp too.
Another pile-up as Wings gets an almost breakaway and a penalty is called. He does get a shot off. This will be another three penalties that end in a Rrrrrrred Wings powerplay! A very important one. Desharnais (roughing) and Kostin (original hooking penalty) go to the Evildoer Enclosure and Chiarot spends his roughing penalty in the Goon Garden.
Another pileup and Kane is in it of course. Nurse sends Bertuzzi down to the ice from behind by his face after hanging onto him for a while, which is fine I guess. Only sometimes are penalties real. Penalty killed.
5:30 to go and it’s another penalty, this time on the Wings. Rasmussen in the Offender Oubilette for interference as McDavid is looking for his Oscar nomination and put on a show of getting hit by a wrecking ball. Oilers powerplay finally works, 4-2 Oilers.
Kostin back in the Sin Stall for cross-checking, Husso gets into a collision trying to get off the ice, but nothing from that, and the Wings get their powerplay.
1 minute on the powerplay, 3 minutes in the game, and Husso is on the bench. The play does not work, Kane scores the ENG. 5-2 Oilers.
It’s all McDavid commentary now, even though he still didn’t score, ESPN is still making sure this is all about him (and Draisaitl.)
That’ll do it. 5-2 Oilers with some postgame scrapping just for good measure.