Detroit Red Wings Lose to Chicago 3-2 in Overtime

The Detroit Red Wings got off to an awesome start. They carried the play, had numerous scoring chances, and had the Chicago Blackhawks on their heels. After Chicago scored two quick goals, and then held a 2-1 lead while controlling the latter half of the second period, it looked like the same old story.

Not this time. Though Chicago would skate away with a 3-2 OT win, the Red Wings made it interesting late.

Christian Djoos buried a shot off a great feed from Frans Nielsen (!) to tie the game and the Wings held momentum the rest of the period.  In overtime, the Red Wings had a 3 on 1 but Filip Zadina couldn’t corral a pass from Filip Hronek and just a minute later, Chicago’s Domink Kubalik sealed the game with a goal on a two on one break.

The Red Wings’ Goals

Some other thoughts

• The Red Wings looked good again. Aside from the second half of the second period, Detroit kept the Hawks chasing and had some good chances in overtime to put them away–but it wasn’t to be. They are trending in the right direction, but again, lack those players who can finish the job. It can’t be the same guys every time.
• Djoos continues to impress and is looking to be in Troy Stecher territory where it was another great pick up by Yzerman. Hronek, meanwhile, had a rough game and it was magnified in overtime where he just had a couple brutal shifts which inevitably led to the game winning goal.
• The power play remains the same power play we know. Scoreless. I suggest they watch film on what Chicago does and try to emulate it. Something has to change because at this point it’s just a waste of two minutes.
• I’m going to also compliment Frans Nielsen because I have been tough on him all season long. He did an awesome job on the second goal–forechecking, disrupting the attempt (with Luke Glendening), retrieving the puck—and then the key: Waiting for the right pass, finding a streaking Djoos, who made a nice move before firing it past Malcolm Subban.

Detroit and Chicago are back at it on Wednesday. Here’s a bit from Dylan Larkin after the game: