Detroit Red Wings Top Five Games of 2015
As 2015 comes to a close and a chapter in Detroit Red Wings history ends, we take a look back at the top five games of 2015 this season.
1. Friday October 9
Detroit Red Wings: 4 Toronto Maple Leafs: o
This was the first game of the 2015-16 NHL season. This was also the first regular season game the Detroit Red Wings played without their former head coach, Mike Babcock. Instead, Babcock was coaching the men on the visitors bench at the Joe Louis Arena.
Babcock’s decision to leave left some Red Wings fans in disbelief and unwary of what the Wings future would look like. However the Wings were not a team defined by the coach. The change at head coach did not shake them whatsoever. If anything, facing their former head coach seemed to motivate the Red Wings to put on a show for their hometown crowd.
This was a night of firsts. Dylan Larkin, 19, made the final roster for the Wings and made his official NHL debut at Joe Louis Arena. Jeff Blashill also head-coached his first Red Wings game.
But Larkin wasn’t just going to make his NHL debut, he was going to set the bar for a spectacular and exciting rookie season. Larkin left the Joe speechless. He assisted on the Justin Abdelkader goal and scored a goal himself.
“I think the whole way I knew I was going to shoot,” Larkin said. “I had a lot of speed, just ripped it. It’s an incredible feeling just to see it go in and see the Joe go pretty crazy.”
This game was the beginning to a new era for the Detroit Red Wings. This opening game was definitely one to remember and gave fans of the Detroit Red Wings plenty to be excited about for the remaining 81 regular-season games.
Next: October 24th At Vancouver
2. Saturday October 24
Detroit Red Wings: 3 Vancouver Canucks: 2 OT
Petr Mrazek tended the goal that night for Detroit and kept the game alive for the Red Wings long enough to force overtime. A trend that carried the Red Wings through many games during the 2015-2016 season thus far.
To be honest, without Mrazek in net, the Wings might not have won the game. In overtime Mrazek sent a long pass to Gustav Nyquist for a breakaway to score the game-winning goal. This game was a perfect example of how thrilling the three on three overtime format can be.
This game decided whether or not the Wings would continue or end a four game losing streak. Thankfully it went in our favor.
The Wings came out flat the first two periods never really showing an edge. Captain Henrik Zetterberg had seen enough. Coach Jeff Blashill credited the veteran captain for the spark to ignite the comeback. Zetterberg is definitely one of the most underrated captains in the NHL. Hank sticks with his team and is the man anyone would follow to the ends of the earth. I would.
During the third period, it was the Canucks that fell flat and allowed the Wings to push the game into overtime. This gave the Wings the momentum they needed to end their losing drought.
Next: December 1 in Hockeytown
3. Tuesday December 1
Detroit Red Wings: 5 Buffalo Sabres: 4 SO
The Wings had a solid 2-0 lead but many can agree this is the hardest lead to keep. One mistake and the other team is back in it. Unfortunately, the Red Wings have blown plenty two-goal leads during the first half of the 2015-2016 season, many in the third and final period.
The Sabres came back in the first two minutes in the third period. Sabres up 4-3, making the Wings desperate for another two goals to win. This was the fifth out of sixth games where the Wings gave up a third period lead. Justin Abdelkader managed to score to force overtime.
For the Wings this was the fifth game in a row that had gone into overtime, and the last seven of eight to also do so. This game had a playoff-esque atmosphere and feel to it for most of the sixty minutes of play. You have to give the Sabres credit for their competitive play. Gone are the days of Buffalo being a team that can just be rolled over on the ice. Kudos to them.
The Red Wings were unable to finish off Buffalo in the overtime period, so the game would be forced to go to a shootout. Brad Richards was the only player to score in that shootout for the Wings, but it would be all the team needed to secure the win.
This game comes to show that even if the Wings have a comfortable lead, this does not mean the players can become comfortable. They must keep playing and fight to keep the lead so unnecessary overtime and shootout don’t have to happen. Points will be valuable at the end of the season, so every point earned will go a long way in the long-run.
Next: December 5 at JLA
4. Saturday December 5
Detroit Red Wings: 5 Nashville Predators: 4 OT
This was a classic come-from-behind victory for the Wings, who trailed 2-4 half way through the third period. Of the two initial goals, Brad Richards scored his first as a Red Wing 19:21 into the first period. He took a shot from the high slot 5 seconds after Nashville came off a penalty kill. The shot was redirected off Shea Webers skate and past Pekka Rinne.
Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson scored a goal and defensemen Shea Weber scored 3. While Wings’ forwards Dylan Larkin and Justin Abdelkader both scored in the last 1:16 of regulation to send the game into overtime. Larkin also added an assist.
At 1:41 in overtime, Gustav Nyquist scored a breakaway goal to get the Red Wings a 5-4 win. Nyquist also assisted Abdelkaders goal in the third period.
This game was another spectacular example of the thrilling three on three overtime format. The Predators nearly won the game seconds before Nyquist’s game-winner. This game seemed pretty much a done deal after Shea Weber’s hat-trick, but the Red Wings’ proved their resilience once again in one of the most thrilling games of the 2015-2016 season.
Next: December 10 at the Joe
5. Thursday December 10
Detroit Red Wings: 3 Montreal Canadiens: 2
The Red Wings were down 2-1 in the third period and had another come-from-behind victory with goals scored by Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm, 1:11 apart. The only thing better than beating an Original Six rival like the Montreal Canadiens, is doing it in comeback fashion.
Darren Helm scored his first of two goals in the second period off of a break through play beating Dustin Tokarski in classic Helm fashion. Helm’s second goal of the night would also prove to be the game-winning goal for the Red Wings after he took advantage of a Montreal turnover.
Canadiens Sven Andrighetto and Tomas Fleischmann scored the only two goals for Montreal that night.
Petr Mrazek made 23 saves in net that night. He also stopped Tomas Plekanec on two breakaways to secure the win for Detroit. The Red Wings were red-hot at this point in the season, going 8-0-4, earning points in their previous dozen games.
This win ended a 7 game losing streak to the Canadiens and closed the point gap between the two teams in their battle for positioning in the Atlantic Division.