Detroit Red Wings fall to Coyotes 4-3 in shootout after quite the finish

Jan 17, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Jack McBain (22) is checked into the boards by Detroit Red Wings center Oskar Sundqvist (70) in the second period at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona Coyotes center Jack McBain (22) is checked into the boards by Detroit Red Wings center Oskar Sundqvist (70) in the second period at Mullett Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Red Wings went into Mullett Arena looking to take what felt like an easy game from the Arizona Coyotes. They had dropped their last nine games coming into tonight, and it was one of those “lose-able” games for the Red Wings, but you try not to think about it.

The Detroit Red Wings ended up doing just that. They fell after the game went into overtime, and needed a shootout to solve things. Detroit was fresh off a loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday as they continued their road trip in Arizona, and now they are heading to Las Vegas looking to try and salvage things.

They may have picked up a point, but a shootout loss to Arizona is brutal when it felt like they were playing a college time on Tuesday night. The game was pretty dull early on. The Red Wings had a ton of shots, outshooting them early and continuing that narrative throughout the game. The Red Wings finished with 40 shots to the Coyotes’ 23 in the game.

Detroit Red Wings on the wrong side of a crazy finish, falling in the shootout.

The end of the first had things still scoreless. Detroit was getting pucks on net and finding ways to create shooting opportunities, which was good. The issue was that the Red Wings shot attempts were all from the outside. Nothing was in tight on Coyotes netminder Connor Ingram, meaning there were no high-danger scoring chances.

The second period was more of the same, including a lack of intensity on the Red Wings’ zone entries. It was a lot of chip-ins to open ice but being unable to retrieve the puck, or dump and chase, which was basically a free turnover.

In the second period, the Red Wings were able to strike first. Dylan Larkin got the draw back behind him, and a crashing Tyler Bertuzzi slipped a pass to the point. Moritz Seider stepped to the middle of the ice and, with good vision, put a great shot on net.

Dylan Larkin got the stick up waist-high and was able to change the direction, and the tip was enough to fool Connor Ingram. This gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead.

Here’s the goal from Larkin:

The Coyotes would tie things up after Magnus Hellberg coughed up a rebound, and Nick Bjugstad could get to it and fire it into the back of the net. Hellberg was slow to get to the post, and Bjugstad beat him short side. That tied things up at one, and the tie held into the second intermission.

Hellberg had a rough game, and this was the start of things for the waiver claim added netminder. The Red Wings continued to get pucks on net but could not find the back of the net besides their lone goal.

In the third period, things started to break loose. Early in the period, Robby Fabbri carried the puck out of the zone on the breakout, skating hard along the wall. He got pressured and was able to get a quick chip to Pius Suter with some open ice.

Suter glided in towards Ingram. He sold the backhand pass as a fake before going to his forehand to shoot one past Ingram to the far side of the net. He picked up a goal to make it 2-1 in favor of Detroit.

Here’s the goal from Suter:

Soon after the Red Wings took a one-goal lead, David Perron added to the Red Wings lead. After Gustav Lindstrom sent one deep behind the net, Andrew Copp picked up the puck and started skating before sending a pass to Michael Rasmussen.

Rasmussen made a split-second decision not to stuff it into Ingram’s pads, instead catching Perron in his peripheral across the crease, sending a quick pass his way. Perron immediately buried one in the back of the net and ended up with a 3-1 lead over the

Here’s the goal:

But things took a turn. Tyler Boyd carried the puck into the offensive zone, cutting across the top of the circle and then ripping one to beat Hellberg and bring the Coyotes within one. It was a soft goal that Hellberg has to be wishing he could get back.

After that, the Coyotes would find a way to even things up as well. Reacting to a shot from Lawson Crouse at the top of the zone, Hellberg made the save but got himself way out of position. As the rebound shot out, it was Dylan Guenther who was there to jump on the rebound and fire it into the back of the net. This tied things up at three.

The third period ended, and the Red Wings headed to overtime against the Coyotes. It was a rough start to overtime as the Coyotes nearly controlled the puck the entire time to start things off. After a great defensive play from Lucas Raymond to get the puck out of the zone, things started to take a turn.

Towards the end of overtime, it turned into both teams trading rushes one after another. It was pretty impressive from both sides, to be honest. Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen had an incredible sequence at the end of overtime, with a separation play to avoid a turnover leading to a great scoring chance. There was a missed holding call at the end, and the frustration boiled over for Rasmussen (rightfully so), who slammed his stick into the boards.

Neither team would find the back of the net, and it forced a shootout. Both Nick Schmaltz and Nick Bjugstad would bury on the Coyotes’ first two attempts. David Perron and Dylan Larkin both failed to score, allowing Arizona to close out the win.

Quiet start with a loud finish in this one. Arizona snaps its nine-game losing streak, and the Red Wings fall to three losses in a row. The Detroit Red Wings head to Las Vegas, where they will take on the Golden Knights on Thursday.