Red Wings-Blues quick take: Blues beat Wings 4-0, stretching Detroit’s losing streak to 3 games

The Detroit Red Wings hosted the St. Louis Blues to wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule on Monday night, with the Red Wings hoping to snap a two-game losing streak and a situation where the Wings had won 3 of their past 11 games. The Blues had lost 3 straight and 5 of 6, so Detroit’s opponent was in a desperate position as well.

On Monday night, Detroit just looked like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter or jelly. From Dylan Holloway’s first goal at 16:14 of the 1st period to Holloway’s hat-trick empty-netter at 15:54 of the 3rd, the Blues out-worked, out-hit, out-skilled and generally dominated every Red Wings line that wasn’t the Veleno-Kasper-Berggren line, even the Seiders, Larkins and Raymonds had off nights, Cam Talbot was just OK, and Detroit dropped its third straight game in disappointing and deflating fashion.

The Wings will have to do some soul searching over the Christmas break, because they host Toronto, Washington and Pittsburgh on the 27th, 29th and 31st, respectively, and then head to Columbus on the 2nd and Winnipeg on the 4th of January, so the schedule affords Detroit no “off nights.”

I do not want to guess as to whether the Red Wings will have their current personnel or coaching staff at Friday’s morning skate before the Leaf game, but I would like to suggest that if Chris Kreider is sitting in New York, he’s exactly the kind of player that the Red Wings need–a tough, net-front goal-scorer.

I doubt such a trade would happen, but it’s a nice thought to take us out into the Christmas break, a very necessary 3 days off for both the Red Wings and their fan base.

In pregame warm-ups, Cam Talbot led the Red Wings out to the ice at Little Caesars Arena at 6:30 PM:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Matthew DeFranks confirmed the Blues’ lineup and lines…

The Wings always announce their lineup just before game time, and it did not include William Wallinder, who’s sitting as the team’s 7th defenseman…for now…

The starters and scratches were as follows:

In the 1st period, the puck hit the ice between Dylan Larkin and Brayden Schenn off the opening faceoff, it was whistled as an early offside, and Detroit chipped, chased, and reset at center, with Larkin battling before Petry pinched unsuccessfully and the Blues cleared the puck down the ice.

Detroit went offside again at 42 seconds, with Rasmussen, Compher and Fischer on the ice, and Holl helped the team win a faceoff and chip deep, but the Blues skated in and Robert Thomas got a big chance that Talbot stifled.

The Wings recoiled and pushed the puck into the Blues’ end, and Thomas dumped the puck down the ice, DeBrincat, Copp and Kane came over the boards 1:30 in, and Johansson and Lagesson had to work to clear the zone for Kane, who dropped to Lagesson, and DeBrincat was unable to deke and dangle in, so Lagesson sent the Wings’ first shot in on Binnington 2 minutes in.

Berggren, Veleno and Kasper came on the ice for the third minute of play, and they helped Talbot chip out a Blues dump-in, they were backed into their own zone again, and Detroit changed defensive pairings and forward lines 45 seconds later, finishing the Wings’ 4-line rotation.

St. Louis was forechecking very aggressively, and trying to take away the Wings’ time and space.

Without much confidence, the Wings afforded the Blues too much time and space themselves, and Talbot had to make a good pad stop on Kyrou as a result.

Talbot made a great blocker stop off Parayko on a Blues faceoff win in Detroit’s zone;

Kane tipped a Gustafsson shot over Binnington as the Wings began to threaten the Blues’ defensemen some 5:10 in…

But most of the game was being played through the neutral zone and into Detroit’s end, where Talbot had to stop a bad turnover by DeBrincat that Texier ripped into Talbot 5:38 in.

Lagesson got walked by Mathieu Joseph and 3 Blues as St. Louis accumulated a 4-1 shot lead, and Schenn sent a ripper off a Wing at 6:39 to usher in the first TV timeout.

When play resumed, the Blues and Wings battled for puck possession more than anything, and a Dylan Larkin dump-check resulted in another Blues 3-on-2 with a shot that whistled through the crease in front of Talbot;

St. Louis was just dominating territorially and in terms of puck possession at the 8-minute mark, and while Kane was able to walk into a shot that was blocked out of play at 8:02, the game mostly consisted of the Blues skating up the ice with the puck and numbers.

Talbot stopped a Justin Faulk shot some 8:45 in;

Detroit was really struggling to break into the Blues’ zone with speed, and so the Wings surrendered the puck repeatedly to the Blues in uncomfortable territory, and when Detroit was able to skate into the Blues’ zone, they’d block the Wings’ players out of the slot.

Colton Parayko got a near-breakaway just short of the 10-minute mark, but Lagesson slashed Parayko without a penalty, negating the break-in.

After a TV timeout, the Wings continued to struggle to push the puck up the ice, so the less-than-star-studded defensive pairings were playing some hard minutes, and coach Lalonde was rotating players as well…

So Gustafsson was working with Seider…

Talbot had to stop a point-blank chance in which Justin Faulk jabbed the puck past Seider and into Talbot, behind Seider…

Then it was Holl and Seider working together, struggling to clear the zone as the Wings had a prospective 2-on-1 waiting for them at center ice;

A Lagesson turnover yielded a tremendous opportunity for Jake Neighbours, who ripped a one-timer into Talbot’s chest protector at 11:21…

When Larkin and Raymond set up Jeff Petry for a one-timer, that was blocked and the Blues chugged up the ice, were repelled once, twice, and a third time before Rasmussen walked through center ice, and jabbed the puck into the slot, where no one was there;

Jonatan Berggren set up Joe Veleno for an empty-net tap-in in the Blues’ zone, but it was blocked off by the Blues’ defense…

But Berggren, Veleno and Kasper were the Wings’ most confident line by far, skating up the ice with authority and working the puck deep into St. Louis’ end.

Even Moritz Seider lost the puck in his skates in the defensive zone some 15:15 in, but he spun and spun to corral it, eventually facilitating a rush-and-shot by Dylan Larkin;

Regrettably, a bad turnover by Tarasenko to Cam Fowler resulted in a lateral play in which Dylan Holloway ripped a puck off Tarasenko’s hockey pants and past Talbot from distance, affording the Blues a lead at 16:44.

Holloway scored from Fowler and Kyrou at 16:44. 1-0 Blues.

Facing a 9-3 shot deficit, the Red Wings continued to struggle against the Blues’ physical forecheck and trap at center ice, and everything was blocked save a Rasmussen interception of a Compher pass to Fischer, which did not work. Rasmussen at least jabbed a tight crease shot in on Binnington;

Even Dylan Larkin fumbled the puck affording the Blues a 2-on-1 with 1:00 left in the 3rd, and Colton Parayko was unable to find Alexandre Texier on a 2-on-1 vs. Seider;

Ultimately, Detroit was out-shot 10-4 and out-scored 1-0.

In the 2nd period, Larkin’s line started, and won the faceoff, but the Blues raced into the Wings’ zone, and all of 18 seconds in, Alexandre Texier walked up the right wing side and ripped a shot over Talbot’s glove and just picks a corner, with Holl’s stick screening Texier’s.

Texier scored 18 seconds into the 2nd period, from Thomas and Buchnevich. 2-0 St. Louis.

Detroit faced long odds to win, and at least Michael Rasmussen was angry after the stick was slashed out of his hands sans call, because Rasmussen kicked the stick away.

Detroit at least seemed to start showing a pulse as the 2nd period progressed, but the turnovers in the defensive zone were continuing, and Talbot nearly gave up a 3-0 goal as Bolduc fired a shot under Talbot and through the crease…

Moritz Seider got a genuine shot on goal, and Jonatan Berggren drew a penalty at 2:32 as Colton Parayko sat for slashing.

On the power play, Detroit lost the deep offensive zone draw, however, and Seider dropped to Kane, Kane went to DeBrincat, over to Raymond it went, to Kane, to Raymond on the perimeter, Seider for Kane, lateral to Larkin stopped by Binnington, Blues clear;

With 1:20 left the Wings’ PP regrouped, skated through center ice with lateral passes, and Dylan Larkin was called for interference for bumping Binnington at 3:27, affording the Blues a power play after a minute-long 4-on-4.

On the 4-on-4, Berggren and Kasper at least won their deep defensive zone draw and battled the puck up the ice before St. Louis set up;

Petry pinched to help Kasper and Berggren cycle with Seider, but Petry was pushed all the way back into Detroit’s end as the 4-on-4 expired.

On the PK, which was to last 48 seconds, Detroit at least stood up at the blueline, with Compher and Copp doing a good job stifling the Blues’ PP;

Rasmusssen, Raymond, Holl and Seider then afforded the Wings a scoring chance as Raymond raced up the right wing before losing control of the puck;

The PP expired, but Thomas fanned on a shot that may have been aimed at the net;

Afterward, Kane fanned on a golden opportunity in the slot;

Larkin, Kane and DeBrincat worked together, and DeBrincat passed the puck right to a Blues defender instead of Larkin, affording St. Louis an easy clear;

St. Louis then took control of the puck for a bit, and after a TV timeout 7 minutes in, the Wings sort of settled in to a defensive posture, and St. Louis scored a 3-0 goal as a result. Dylan Holloway scored his second goal of the night, just north of the hash marks, off a pass from Parayko that went off the back boards, and Schenn centered to Holloway.

At 7:45 it was 3-0 St. Louis. Holloway from Parayko and Schenn.

Marco Kasper at least laid out Tucker at 9:03, and the Veleno-Kasper-Berggren line was a beacon of hope on a bad team having a bad night.

Albert Johansson and Jeff Petry then had to help out Cam Talbot as the Blues centered the puck into the crease, sending Talbot tumbling some 10:15 into the period;

St. Louis just continued its understandably relentless attack and understandably ugly, mucky-grindy defensive play…

Raymond, Rasmussen and Compher cycled to Holl, then Seider, who got a long shot in on Binnington–shot #6 of the night–at 11:25 of the 2nd…

When play resumed after a TV timeout, Kane and DeBrincat were with Larkin, and Seider and Holl remained together…

Kane and Larkin set up DeBrincat for a fine scoring chance that he sent wide…

TALBOT MADE AN AMAZING SAVE ON THOMAS OFF A 2-on-1 ATTEMPT…

Kasper, Veleno and Berggren returned to the ice, and as the only Wings line with some continuity, Petry and Gustafsson really tried to set them up offensively, but it was St. Louis crashing and banging, and Detroit assuaging a near-icing puck…

Toropchenko put the puck off the apron of the net after walking around Veleno as he circled the Wings’ goal;

Tarasenko whacked Copp in the back with a one-timer off an offensive zone faceoff, working with Fischer…

And COPP was stifled by Binnington on the one-timer from Tarasenko at 14:32.

After the TV timeout, Talbot had to prevent Nathan Walker from walking in on a breakaway–himself…

The “Jared Goff” chants really got going about 15:30 into the 2nd, and Patrick Kane responded, dekeing and dangling his way around Kyrou, but Kane backhanded the puck into Binnington’s glove at 16:03.

Thereafter, Kasper, Berggren and Veleno had a workmanlike shift, with Johansson and Lagesson, and they really got a great cycle going, with Johansson firing a puck just wide of the goal…

Kane dropped a pass to DeBrincat in the slot, and Binnington made a good stop;

A bad back-door pass for Kane yielded a Blues rush and a tremendous stop by Talbot with 2:00 left in the 2nd, but Detroit got tagged for slashing as DeBrincat sat at 18:00 for his slash on Alexandre Texier.

On the PK, Copp and Compher worked with Seider and Holl, and the Blues got a shot off immediately;

The Blues set up well on the PP, however, working the perimeter until Copp could clear the puck and get off on a line change some 40 seconds in;

Buchnevich blasted a slot shot wide after a good cycle-and-set-up;

Seider made a good block on Kyrou with 35 seconds remaining;

Kyrou then hit Thomas with a shot, and Seider tapped the puck away, ending the 2nd period.

In the 3rd period, Detroit won the initial faceoff, with Larkin, Kane and DeBrincat on the ice, and DeBrincat actually generated a shot on goal, albeit a long one, 13 seconds in;

The Blues had some jump as well, however, and the clock was going to be the Wings’ worst enemy in the 3rd…

But the Blues weren’t far behind. They tended to dominate possession and control over their own blueline and forward thereof, and they were making it very hard for the Red Wings to generate time and space north of Detroit’s blueline.

Copp found Seider who walked in from the left wing side and fired a shot into Binnington, and he centered it into an empty area, but the Blues cleared the puck before it could be jammed behind Binnington;

Joe Veleno was hacked down and then hacked in the hands by 2 Blues players, and neither one was afforded a spot in the penalty box, establishing the “standard of game management” for the 3rd…

Defenseman Philip Broberg walked in alone but going slow against Talbot, and Broberg was stifled by Talbot;

Detroit’s…structure was lacking, so while Petry and Johansson looked good, Compher was bumped hard by Kyrou sans penalty, and Raymond worked to kick the puck to the line for Petry, then Johansson, then Raymond, walking deep, only to be blocked, and Compher was stopped by Binnington…

And Holloway tried to fight Compher, who was not interested in the fisticuffs being offered.

Detroit was actually generating some offense with 14:07 remaining, but Gustafsson was unable to beat Binnington off an offensive zone draw;

The Blues won the next one and cleared their zone, and again, Detroit was better overall, but far from impeccable defensively.

Tarasenko fired a shot just wide of Binnington on a 3-on-3 rush;

And with 13:13, a TV timeout hit.

When play resumed, the Kasper line found itself hemmed in, Faulk deked and shot wide, Schenn could not hold on and up came Kasper, who deked and dropped, but to no one…So St. Louis cleared, Berggren charged up left wing side, worked it down low to Kasper, Kasper jammed, cycled back and got a backhander on Binnington…

Detroit was also closing better on the Blues’ streaking forwards defensively…

Albert Johansson wasn’t getting any results, but his pinches were smart and slickly-skilled;

With the boo birds out in full force, Johansson iced the puck at 9:55, Holl turned the puck over on the Wings’ outlet attempt, St. Louis cycled away down low and Talbot stopped Toropchenko twice;

At 10:25, Johansson got hit in the face with a skate from Mathieu Joseph, but no penalty was called as it looked like he’d got elbowed…

So play continued 5-on-5, and Berggren blasted a shot high and wide with 9:00 remaining, with the Wings buzzing in the Blues’ zone;

Seider and Holl generated a good down-low shot on Binnington and an icing against with 8:23 left;

The Larkin line won the offensive zone faceoff, and pinned the puck to the boards, but Gustafsson dropped the puck to Petry and out, so Detroit regrouped, Larkin was tripped in the slot, and St. Louis skated into Detroit’s zone and ran Gustafsson head-first into the boards.

No infractions were noted.

Even Michael Rasmussen was not feeling confident enough to wrap the puck around Binnington, seeking J.T. Compher in the slot–with Compher covered completely by 2 Blues defenders…

The Wings were at least doing a good job of starting to press the nexus of play north of center ice, but St. Louis crashed, banged, trapped and tripped on defense, effectively so…

Bolduc hit the goalpost going the other way with 6:15 remaining…

Gustafsson got the Wings’ best scoring chance of the period with 5:02 left, ripping an unobstructed point shot that was not chased by any Red Wings players into Binnington.

Emblematic of the game.

Joe Veleno at least stole the puck down low behind the Blues’ net and flicked the puck out front to Berggren on the doorstep of the goal, but Berggren ripped the shot over the goal, off Cam Fowler’s leg…

And when Detroit pulled Cam Talbot, the Blues won the offensive zone faceoff, the puck was blasted down the ice by Parayko off the end boards, and Holloway beat Kane to the puck and jammed it into the empty net at 15:54 to make it 4-0 St. Louis.

Holloway scored at 15:54 from Parayko and Thomas. 4-0 St. Louis.

Then Joe Veleno blasted a shot off the goalpost…

The Wings tried to spread the wealth a bit with Compher, Rasmussen and Raymond cycling hard, but the Blues continued to collapse in front of Binnington, and then harass the Wings’ D at the blueline, affording Detroit no time or space.

St. Louis’ Buchnevich ripped a shot in on Talbot to Bronx cheers with 1:10 left in the game;

Toropchenko almost got a breakaway with about 45 seconds left;

The Larkin line just couldn’t get it going despite its best efforts, the same was true for Compher’s line, and the game ended with boos raining down at 9:27 PM EST.

Statistics: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

Published by

George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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