Adam Erne Scores Again, but Red Wings fall 3-2 to Nashville

The Detroit Red Wings had a chance to start a winning streak with Nashville coming to town. After a dominating 5-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Easter Sunday and the red-hot Predators fighting for a playoff spot, it would be interesting to see how Detroit would respond. Unfortunately, the result would be similar to most games against Nashville–this time it took a shootout–as the Wings fell 3-2.

Detroit opened the scoring with a goal from Danny DeKeyser with just under a minute left in the first period. The Wings led through the second period and Thomas Greiss finally got some puck luck with pucks banging off the posts but not into the net.

The Red Wings held the lead until early in the third period on a bad line change. It ruined what had been a nice game from Griess, but the Red Wings would answer and it would be a familiar name burying the next one.

Adam Erne registered his ninth goal of the season on a rebound try, giving Detroit a 2-1 lead with just under eight minutes to play. But Nashville answered right back with a power play goal wih 3:58 left in the contest. Both teams played to a tie to sew up the third and off to overtime they went.

The overtime went without any goals so for the first time this season, the Red Wings were in the shootout. Just as the season has gone for Detroit when it comes to goal scoring, so too did the shootout. Nashville netted their first two tries while Dylan Larkin and Filip Zadina couldn’t pot one, sending the Wings to a 3-2 loss.

Red Wings Goals

Final Thoughts on the Red Wings

• Erne just continues to make Yzerman look like a genius. There was some head scratching when they acquired him and when his numbers didn’t really move much, it seemed 50-50 he would return for third season with Detroit. What a difference a month makes. I doubt Yzerman deals him, as it was one of his guys that he knew while in Tampa. But he’s earned not only a contract extension, but a modest raise as well.
• While it’s encouraging to see the Red Wings play close games, the better teams (and remember when everyone was writing Nashville off–me included) are showing that they can get the upper hand late in games. Down twice, Nashville rallied and then finished it in overtime. Had it not been for some shots ringing off the post, Nashville may very well have finished this off in regulation.

Both teams play again Thursday.