The Florida Panthers outplayed the Red Wings in every aspect of the game on Saturday night and defeated Detroit 6-2. Detroit proved once again that they have a long way to go before they are competitve against the top teams in the NHL. The loss dropped Detroit to a dismal 8-15-3 on the road and 24-26-6 overall.
First Period
The Florida Panthers came out flying and scored 4:10 into the first period. Robby Fabbri scored his 16th of the season to tie the score at the 7:16 mark of the 1st. Florida scored two power play goals to increase the Florida lead to 3-1 after the 1st period.
Florida held a 16-9 advantage in shots on goal.
Second Period
The second period was similar to the 1st. The Panthers scored two goals in the first 11:01 of the 2nd and chased starting goaltender Thomas Greiss from the game. Greiss made 18 saves on 23 shots. Alex Nedeljkovic replaced Greiss in the net and allowed one goal on three shots to end the period. Florida had a 6-1 lead after two periods.
Florida outshot Detroit 10-4 in the second and 26-13 overall.
Third Period
Detroit played a better third period and Tyler Bertuzzi scored the loan goal, his 24th of the season. Florida held a slim 13-10 edge in shots during the 3rd and 39-23 overall. Final score, Florida wins 6-2.
The Red Wings return home when they host the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. Game time is 7:30 PM ET at LCA in Detroit, MI.