Detroit switched up the power-play units on Friday morning at practice and it seemed to have a positive impact as both teams were effective in moving the puck. The first unit consisted of David Perron (net front), Dylan Larkin (bumper), Alex DeBrincat, and Lucas Raymond (flanks) with Shayne Gostisbehere running the point. The passing looked crisp with Larkin getting denied on a good opportunity down low on a first period power play. But shortly after, the Bruins capitalized after a bad van Riemsdyk pass took an awkward bounce as it rounded the boards, leading to a turnover in the Red Wings zone. Rookie Matthew Poitras was the beneficiary, skating in all alone after a great pass from Kevin Shattenkirk, and beat Husso with a nifty backhand move. Ben Chiarot was clearly out of position on the play – but that’s what happens when you get bad bounces, and Detroit was quickly down 2-0.
Toward the end of the opening period, Larkin drew an interference penalty on Brandon Carlo, leading to Detroit’s first goal. Off a broken play with the man advantage, Perron found Raymond all alone in front – with a great no-look pass – and Raymond buried it past Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark. It was an impressive play for Perron who has struggled to get going offensively to start the season. Things then turned chippy with Pastrnak attempting a high – but legal hit on Walman, to which Seider took exception to. He then battled with Boston defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, taking a blow to the face, that the referee somehow missed. Seider and Walman got matching minors while van Riemsdyk took a cross-checking penalty and the Bruins were back on the power play. Fortunately, for Detroit, it was an unsuccessful one as the Red Wings killed it off to enter the opening intermission trailing by one.
2nd Period Takeaways
The middle period was the second power play’s unit time to shine and the newly formed squad didn’t disappoint. They struck on the power play at 9:59, to tie the game at two apiece, with Seider feeding Walman for a one-timer that blew by Ullmark’s head. It was a rocket shot from the defenseman and it appeared the momentum was shifting in Detroit’s favor. But after some back-and-forth action, Boston’s Jake DeBrusk caught Olli Maatta flat-footed and found a wide-open Charlie Coyle down low in the crease for a 3-2 lead. While Detroit continued to dictate play in Boston’s zone, the Bruins kept finding a way to maintain the lead, even after being outshot 31-21 through two periods.
3rd Period Let’s Get It On
If at this point someone had shown me a highlight of all of the quality scoring chances between the two teams without showing me the goals, I would honestly tell you the Red Wings were up at least two – but that wasn’t the case. Boston began pounding Detroit early in the third and Husso came up with some very solid saves. The Bruins were toying with the Red Wings at one point until it eventually led to a gassed Detroit unit on a 2-on-2 break with Raymond feeding Larkin who sped past Wotherspoon – on fumes – and beat Ullmark short side. Larkin’s 17th point of the season tied the game at three. But Detroit’s persistence had only just begun. Moments later Perron fanned on a shot from the right slot but somehow retrieved it and beat Ullmark for a 4-3 lead. Then, all in the span of 3:44, the Red Wings added another with Copp finding the twine after Compher banged one off the crossbar for a 5-3 Detroit lead.
The play looked eerily similar to the Raymond winner last Monday on Long Island as Compher this time decided to shoot after drifting backward with the puck. Detroit appeared to have Boston on the ropes, but don’t ever count out a team that employs David Pastrnak. With 5:49 remaining in the game, and Copp off to the box for tripping, he blasted a laser from the top of the left faceoff circle past Husso for his ninth goal of the year and suddenly Boston trailed by just one. Rasmussen was slashed on the play, breaking his stick but the referees, again, missed the call. That familiar feeling of uncertainty started to creep into the minds of Red Wings fans. Could they hold on against last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winner? The answer was yes.
With time winding down, frustration started to set in for Boston as numerous (avoidable) penalties wiped out any chance of a Bruins’ comeback. Pastrnak took a tripping penalty after being stopped in the Red Wings zone with 1:28 remaining and moments later Coyle was called for holding Seider. Then Boston’s bench started chirping, earning another penalty, leading to a 5-on-3 advantage for Detroit. The Red Wings merely had to play keep away for the remainder of the game but the Bruins had other plans, starting with Larkin and Hampus Lindholm getting into it by the benches, with both earning ten-minute misconducts. Moments later, everybody’s favorite, Brad Marchand, took his anger out on Compher by delivering a cross-check to the forward’s back while taking a roughing penalty as well. Detroit got that “oh so sweet revenge” with a 5-4 win as the clock ran out on Boston’s winning streak.
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