Red Wings: Calgary Grinds Out Win, Blanks Detroit 3-0

The Calgary Flames handed the Detroit Red Wings their first loss of the 2021-22 season, as Jacob Markstrom stopped all 32 of Detroit’s shots.

First Period

To the surprise of no one, the game kicked off with some bad blood. Just over two minutes in, Givani Smith dropped the gloves, going toe-to-toe with Milan Lucic.

Calgary scored their first goal of the night halfway through the first, cashing in on an extended period of offensive possession. Four minutes later, the Flames nabbed one again, continuing to apply pressure in the offensive zone and take advantage of defensive lapses.

The Red Wings had 12 shots to the Flames 11, but a few defensive missteps allowed Calgary to take control of the game early with a 2-0 lead.

Second Period

Detroit had two power play opportunities in the first minutes of the second, but they were unable to get any sort of good offensive zone possession. A penalty on the Red Wings gave the Flames a chance to extended their two goal lead, but an absolutely fantastic penalty kill from Detroit completely stifled the man advantage.

The second period ended without a goal by either team, still 2-0 Flames.

Third Period

The Red Wings kicked off the third with a power play attempt, but a hooking call on Dylan Larkin cut it short. The ensuing 4-on-4 and Calgary power play didn’t result in a goal for either team.

The game continued to grind on, as both offenses looked disjointed and failed to create any good offensive series. The Red Wings pulled Alex Nedeljkovic with just under three minutes left, but less than a minute later, Calgary iced the game with an empty netter.

Detroit heads to the road for the first time Saturday night, where they’ll be face off against the (winless) Montreal Canadiens.