Wings Win 2-1 Over Avs, Howard Shines

Recently, coach Mike Babcock put a call out to his goalies saying they needed to step up and be better.  Jimmy Howard has answered that call ever since, and did so again last night as the Red Wings defeated Colorado 2-1.  Jimmy Howard made 36 saves and came ever-so-close to earning his 13th career shutout, but everything the Avs threw at Howard was not enough.

Detroit was bolstered in the 2nd period when Johan Franzen finally got the monkey off his back and scored for the first time since coming back from injury.  Damien Brunner fed the Mule a marvelous stretch pass that left Franzen free and clear of both Colorado defensemen, and the following wrist shot whistled by goaltender J. S. Giguere to open the scoring at 1-0 Wings.

Later in the same period, Niklas Kronwall would blast a puck toward the net, and some argue that he intentionally shot wide of the net to look for a favorable bounce off of the notoriously lively Joe Louis Arena boards.  The bounce Kronner got could not have been more favorable, as the puck careened back toward the net, ricocheted off Giguere's skate, and back into the net to make it 2-0 Detroit.

All was well until the final stages of the 3rd, when Franzen sullied his otherwise good play by half-heartedly trying to clear the puck out of the defensive zone while Colorado had their net empty.  The puck stayed in, and Paul Stastny got a shot on goal.  Howard responded with a great save, but a rebound came right back to Stastny and he did not waste his second chance.  With just 1:30 left in the game, the Avalanche broke Howard's shutout, making it 2-1.  The Wings, however, would hold on from there and claim their 2 points.

Timely Mistakes Turn Tides on Wings, Lose 2-1 to Chicago

In what could end up being the most frustrating loss of the regular season so far, the Detroit Red Wings managed to go stride for stride with the league-leading Chicago Blackhawks for much of their match on Sunday.  The Wings took a late lead when Tomas Tatar scored in the 3rd to break a scoreless tie.  It looked as though the Red Wings would be the ones to finally snap Chicago's season-opening point streak.

Then, Jonathan Ericsson happened.

With mere minutes left to secure the win, Ericsson made the costly mistake of flinging the puck over the glass in defensive territory, resulting in the dreaded delay of game penalty, on which Chicago scored to tie with only 2 minutes left in regulation.  It did not get any better after that point.

Regulation ended, Chicago got to keep their little streak, and overtime solved nothing.  The game would go to a shootout, where the Blackhawks would score the lone goal, winning 2-1.

Wings Get Fleeced, Fall 2-1 to Kings

It's good to know that NHL officiating is still consistent.....ly inconsistent.

The Red Wings were involved in an exciting game last night, where they dominated most of the play, but due to too many penalties, were deep in the 3rd period in a 1-1 tie.  Kyle Quincey had scored an odd goal and Detroit had been defending their lead well, until a 2nd 5 on 3 opportunity for the Kings was converted and evened it up.

Then, the refs stepped in...or perhaps the more accurate term would be that they stepped out.

Late in the final period, a hit put on Danny Cleary from behind caused a cut around Cleary's orbital bone, which would end up requiring 15 stitches.  No call was made.  As if that weren't bad enough, all-around dirtbag Dustin Penner was somehow able to take advantage of all four officials on the ice not looking anywhere around him and took it upon himself to clobber Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith about the head.  Miles away from the puck.  From behind.  Smith would go down in a heap and play would continue for a few seconds before the whistle was blown and a Detroit trainer could get out to assist Smith.  Again, no call was made.  The Penner no-call ended up being disastrous for Detroit, as during the next sequence, Anze Kopitar would get open in front of Wings goalie Jimmy Howard and deposit what would be the game winning goal.

While it is true that the poor offensive showing by Detroit is partly to blame for this loss, not every game is going to be a barn-burner.  There are going to be 1-0 and 2-1 games that Detroit needs to win, and by all accounts, they should have won this one, or at the very least, seen a point for OT or a shootout.  They controlled play, won the battles for puck possession, and minimized chances against them.  That should have been enough to get them through regulation with at least a tie.  Thanks to the officials eating their whistles and going to sleep, however, we now sit outside the playoff window once again.

At least the Kings didn't try that clock trick again.

Determined Detroit Pounds Predators

Last night's showing was a welcome sight, and hopefully a portent of things to come.

The Red Wings were desperate to get back into the win column as they played host to division foe Nashville, to whom they lost in overtime just 4 days previous.  The Wings did not disappoint the Joe Louis Arena crowd, exploding for 4 goals and blanking the Predators 4-0.  Jimmy Howard posted his 12 career shutout, making 33 saves in the contest, while Drew Miller, Tomas Tatar, Niklas Kronwall and Danny Cleary provided the offense for Detroit.

Miller's goal, a gritty hunt-the-rebound type play, is something the Red Wings need more of, with so many chances in previous games becoming one-and-done's.  Similarly, Tatar's goal was due to great awareness and perseverance around the net, as the puck came out to the side amidst a scrum in front of Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne.  Tatar was right there to grab the puck and fling it into the top of the net for the 2-0 tally.  Nik Kronwall got on the scoresheet next with a bomb that reminded us--only slightly, of course--of that other Nick who wore the Winged Wheel not so long ago.  Finally, Cleary's goal came off  deflection in front of Rinne.  Sound familiar?  This is what the Wings are looking for from Cleary, as well as injured Johan Franzen.  Detroit needs players to create a net-front presence similar to that of the retired Tomas Holmstrom.  Obviously Cleary and Franzen are no Homer, but one does what one must, and Cleary's effort is much appreciated.

Nashville got plenty of chances, despite the goose-egg on the scoreboard, just Jimmy Howard was up to the task.  Coach Mike Babcock came out nd said that for Detroit to win, they would need better goaltending.  Howard was quick to answer the call, making some spectacular saves as his teammates slowly built up their lead.  One thing that was noticeably different in Jimmy's game last night is that he was much more composed in the crease, with a lot less flopping and flailing as Howard is sometimes prone to doing.  Usually when Howard is set in the crease the way he was last night, it's a good night for the Red Wings.

So now that Detroit has finally snapped their winless streak, it's time to build on last night's solid performance.  The Wings will wrap up their 3-game homestand this evening against the Vancouver Canucks, a team they meet for the first time today.

Will the streak-breaking Canucks who tormented us last year strike again, or will Detroit stand tall at home and bring home another win?