Red Wings-Blackhawks quick take: imperfect is good enough for half-a-dozen at the Pizzarena

The Detroit Red Wings hosted the Chicago Blackhawks for an Original Six tilt at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night, with the Red Wings hoping to stretch their winning streak to six games.

On Friday night, the Wings let things get a little hairy at times, but Detroit pushed out to 1-0, 4-1 and then 5-3 leads en route to a 5-3 victory over the pesky Chicago Blackhawks. Goals by DeBrincat, Raymond, Copp, Johansson and Kasper powered the run, Patrick Kane had 3 assists, and while the Wings were loosey goosey defensively, Cam Talbot stopped 12 of 15 shots, some of them particularly hard.

Petr Mrazek deserves a lot of credit for keeping the Hawks in the game, Connor Bedard’s got a lot of skill, and the Hawks have to be respected, or they’re going to bite you in the butt…

And Detroit got bit a couple of times…

But the Wings held tough, and they won their sixth straight game under coach McLellan.

In pregame warmups, Cam Talbot led the Red Wings onto the ice, with Lucas Raymond wearing the alternate captain’s “A”…

Petr Mrazek started for the Blackhawks, who dressed the following lineup:

The Red Wings revealed their lineup just before game time:

The starters and scratches were as follows:

In the 1st period, the Dylan Larkin line was matched up against Bertuzzi and Bedard, with Chiarot and Seider on defense, and Talbot facing off against Mrazek in goal.

Larkin tied up the initial faceoff and it was moved back to Seider and Chiarot, who chipped and chased, but Seider could not hold the line, and Talbot helped Kasper and Seider clear to Larkin at center ice…

Detroit changed 33 seconds into the 1st, and Hall fed Compher and then Tarasenko shot, was stopped, and Detroit buzzed against the hawks, but Chicago was able to clear the puck down the ice and Talbot reversed flow…

Hall and the Hawks deked and dangled in the Wings’ end, but Johansson and Edvinsson smelled out the Hawks’ dekes and made an easy job of clearing the puck down the ice for Kane’s line…

Chicago then raced up the ice 2-on-1, and Teuvo Teravainen tried to pass the puck to Frank Nazar, but they were blocked off by the Wings’ defense.

Detroit then got in on the forecheck as Rasmussen bumped Vlasic, but the Hawks chipped the puck away and chased, Talbot rimmed the puck out of the Wings’ end, and Detroit’s first line returned to the ice 2:45 into the 1st…

With Talbot making a huge stop on a Donato tip in front of the goal.

Detroit was turning the puck over at center ice, but Bedard and Mikheyev were blocked off by Edvinsson and Johansson;

Bertuzzi chipped the puck wide on the next rush;

Bedard was not called for tripping Edvinsson and grabbing him…

Chicago was dominating puck possession some 4 minutes in, but Detroit was counterattacking and defending well, so they were stifling the worst of the Hawks…

And as the Red Wings raced the other way, Patrick Kane fed Alex DeBrincat on a 2-on-1, and DeBrincat roofed a shot over Mrazek to make it 1-0 at 4:26.

DeBrincat scored from Kane and Holl at 4:26. 1-0 Detroit.

On the bump-up shift, Edvinsson and Rasmussen established possession in the Hawks’ zone, but a bouncer off Edvinsson’s skate yielded a recoil and regroup at center, and Veleno and Rasmussen could not connect, nor could Motte, in front of the Hawks’ goal 3-on-2.

The Larkin line hopped over the boards at 5:55, and they afforded Chicago a chip and chase, but Holl and Gustafsson helped the Wings clear the zone, and Kasper almost found Larkin going laterally;

Detroit was playing a relatively dangerous brand of hockey in its own zone, and the Blackhawks had a 3-1 shot lead some 8:20 into the 1st, but again, Detroit counter-attacked well, and Tyler Motte drew a penalty on Ryan Donato at 8:32. Donato sat for tripping, and the Red Wings headed to their first power play.

On the power play, Larkin drew the puck back to Seider and Raymond fed Larkin for a one-timer that went wide;

Raymond and Seider held the line for Larkin, lateral for Kane through DeBrincat wide, Kane set up again, but DeBrincat was held up, Raymond to Seider line to Kane rt side for Raymond left side, Kane to Raymond shot blocked off to the line, Seider holds for a moment and Mikheyev clears..

Gustafsson took over as the 2nd unit hit the ice, and Berggren gorfled up the exchange, so he and Tarasenko re-set in the Wings’ end and regrouped through center, where Gustafsson walked up and into Chicago territory, but Foligno cleared the zone.

So Compher, Berggren and Rasmussen walked in umbrella style, Rasmussen jabbed down low, fed Tarasenko, to Gustafsson it went, shot blocked off the back boards and wide, and that was the power play.

Sadly, Connor Bedard set up a lateral play to Ryan Donato, and Donato ripped a one-timer to make it 1-1 at 10:56.

Donato made it 1-1 from Bedard and Mikheyev at 10:56. 1-1.

As play resumed after a TV timeout, the Hawks were aggressively forechecking and checking in the neutral zone with a 1-2-2 posture, but Detroit was trying to sort itself out, and Talbot stopped a nice shot by Taylor Hall some 12:30 into the 1st…

It just looked like Chicago was having an easier time of it, and Detroit was turning pucks over in all three zones, which wasn’t a winning recipe.

Ben Chiarot got a nice drop from Kane and forced Mrazek to stop the puck with a, “My glove happened to be there” save at 13:19;

The Rasmussen-Veleno-Motte line then had a very good grinding shift deep in the Hawks’ zone, and Chiarot helped Rasmussen center for Motte, but the hawks chipped the puck out of danger;

Chicago attempted to establish a good forecheck as play continued, but some 15:00 in, both the Copp and Larkin line were grinding it out defensively as well as offensively, and Chicago was finding its ease of play disrupted by a harder-working Red Wings team.

Ben Chiarot got caught pinching and Bedard raced away 2-on-1, but Seider blocked Bedard’s shot 16:10 into the 1st;

Edvinsson made a wild centering pass that Kasper could have tapped into the goal, if the puck didn’t bounce;

Justin Holl got away with a pick at 17:30;

Again, the Hawks’ speed and odd-man rushes were giving the Wings fits, but Talbot made a big stop on Colton Dach;

With 1:20 left in the 1st, Kane, Copp and Johansson cycled well, but again, Mrazek used his glove to force a stoppage in play instead of a rebound and a scoring opportunity;

In the final minute of play, Detroit forced Chicago into a penalty, and Kane came out 6-on-5 with the Larkin line and Chiarot and Seider’s d-pair, Detroit cycled well and it took until 15.3 remained to force Bedard to go for hooking Larkin’s hands.

Bedard sat for hooking at 19:44.

On the power play, Detroit won the draw but the Hawks mucked it back, cleared the zone, and ended the first period 1-1.

In the 2nd period, Detroit had 1:44 of PP time to start, and as the Hawks were up 3-1 in scoring chances, Detroit had some work to do in terms of sorting out their game–after giving up a rush chance for a goal against.

The Red Wings started their first PP unit of Larkin, Raymond, DeBrincat, Kane and Seider vs. the Hawks’ best PK’ers, and the Hawks won the initial faceoff and chipped it down the ice.

DeBrincat came back to help Seider and break out with Kane, Seider fed Larkin for a rim for Raymond, Seider reversed for DeBrincat, the Wings hugged the boards and battled Vlasic, Kane fed DeBrincat, to Raymond it went, and Raymond roofed the puck to make it 2-1 on the power play.

Lucas Raymond scored from Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane at 41 seconds. 2-1.

Detroit nearly scored on the bump-up shift, but Compher was stifled by Mrazek, Johansson suffered a broken stick, and Edvinsson tried to feed Rasmussen in the slot, but he was unable to convert. Still, Detroit had a good forechecking, grinding shift, and Chiarot got a long shot in on Mrazek at 1:51.

As play continued, the Hawks forechecked well in Detroit’s zone, but the Red Wings were diligent and hard-working in terms of their three-zone play, and they weren’t surrendering odd-man rushes against, so they slowly sorted out their issues…

And when Taylor Hall tried to deke out Moritz Seider, Seider put his shoulder into Hall’s face.

Against the Bedard line, Raymond battled deep and swiped a puck from Bertuzzi, nearly scoring on Mrazek, who made an astute stop at 3:49;

The Hawks were forcing the Wings to work really damn hard to battle through the middle of the ice, and Chicago’s excellent stick-checking was giving the Wings some fits in Detroit’s own zone…

Detroit was also getting forced to put its players out for long shifts; Edvinsson and Johansson got a 2-minute shift some 6:00 into the 2nd, and, after a TV timeout, the Wings’ Compher line at least got a cycle going, which was very necessary for the snake-bitten Vladimir Tarasenko’s confidence.

Moritz Seider was stifled despite Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper kicking the puck across the crease for a back-door play;

Chicago was winning a lot of one-on-one battles for the puck with and without sticks engaged, and the game took on a physical tone some 8:00 into the 2nd, with lots of scrums and grit and grind taking place.

The puck was bouncing a bit on sticky Detroit ice as snow fell outside, too, which wasn’t helping.

Kane raced in and was poke-checked away by Mrazek;

Off an odd-man rush, Raymond and Larkin charged in and were unable to get the puck to Kasper at the halfway mark of the period;

When play resumed after a TV timeout, Johansson blasted a ripper into Mrazek, and the rebound was ripped into Mrazek as well from Compher…

Dylan Larkin hit the CROSSBAR on a 3-on-2 with Kasper and Raymond, and the Wings forced the Bedard line to ice the puck thereafter, affording Detroit a change for the Copp crew…

But Detroit was unable to convert on the resulting cycle deep in the Hawks’ end, though they made some beautiful music in terms of puck possession.

As the period progressed, the Wings were unable to generate much in the way of grade-A scoring chances, with Tarasenko struggling as per usual…

And as the Hawks got into trouble with Patrick Maroon running Seider away from play at 14:50, and Maroon sat for roughing despite Seider’s stick hitting Maroon in the head (accidentally) as Seider fell to the ice.

On the power play, Raymond and Larkin cycled deep, Mrazek made another game-saving stop, and the Hawks dumped the puck down the ice;

DeBrincat and Kane revived a fumble and skated deep into the Hawks’ end, but they were unable to convert;

Raymond, Compher, Seider and Tarasenko worked the 2nd unit with a minute gone in the PP, and Kasper joined the fray, Rasmussen fed Compher for a one-timer that was blocked, Detroit regrouped at center ice…

Kasper fed Rasmussen for a shot that was blocked, and the PP ended with 3:05 left in the 2nd.

Then Copp was dumped trying to jab a puck in on Mrazek at the side of the crease…

Detroit was beginning to show some cracks in its facade despite some very good overall work, and Mrazek was playing a game-stealer’s game…

So as Mrazek made masterful stops, the 2nd period wound down…

Kane fed DeBrincat for a weak wrister that Mrazek stifled with a minute left in the 2nd, and it was pretty;

Raymond was ran by Foligno with 45 seconds left, and Detroit continued to deke and dangle, but Kasper was stifled by Mrazek again;

With 33.1 left in the 2nd, Compher lost a draw, Berggren battled Kaiser, the Hawks worked the puck to center and Donato was stifled by Cam Talbot…

The shots in the 2nd were 17-2 Detroit, but the score was only 2-1.

In the 3rd period: Larkin won the draw to Seider, the Wings tried to spring Kasper, but that did not work, and Detroit received a blueline keep-in by Larkin, a cycle to Raymond and he was stifled by Mrazek in the Hawks’ slot;

The DeBrincat-Copp-Kane line did not do such a good job of helping Edvinsson and Gustafsson clear the puck, so Detroit afforded Chicago a load of zone time and attempts blocked some 2:30 into the 3rd;

Detroit steadied itself, however, and as the Bedard and Larkin lines faced each other, Talbot only had to face a point shot that he could see from 65 feet out…

Talbot had a tougher challenge stopping a point shot from Seth Jones that went through some traffic and into Talbot’s knees;

Berggren raced after a loose puck, fed Compher, and Tarasenko was stifled by Mikheyev in the slot on a 3-on-2;

Gustafsson gave Copp a glorious drop pass, but Copp couldn’t finish;

Gustafsson walked in alone as well and Andrew Copp stuffed it into the net past Mrazek off the drop pass from Gustafsson. Pat Maroon may have deflected the goal past his own goaltender while standing behind Mrazek.

Copp scored from Gustafsson and Kane at 5:00 3rd period. 3-1 Detroit.

Detroit was attempting to “put the game away,” but the sights were just off as the shooting gallery opened up for the Wings in the Chicago zone, and Marco Kasper won a puck battle, Lucas Raymond deked, dangled, and saw Albert Johansson racing in from the right point. Raymond fed Johansson, who scored his first goal on Mrazek.

Albert Johansson scored his 1st goal from Raymond and Johansson at 7:07. 4-1 Detroit.

The Wings were obviously playing with more confidence as the period progressed, and Patrick Kane hit the crossbar dekeing through the Hawks’ defense…

As play continued after a TV timeout at 9:00, Detroit was doing its best to prevent the Hawks from going so far as to take a shot on Talbot–and the shots were only 3-2 in the 3rd, but Detroit had 2 goals on 3 shots…

Sadly, Detroit lost a faceoff, the Hawks wrapped around the net as $42 found Teravainen as Johansson and Edvinsson crowded the left side of the net, and Teravainen deked and dangled the puck over Talbot to make it 4-2.

Teravainen scored from Allan and Dach at 10:16 to make it 4-2.

Detroit was effing around and finding out the hard way that the Hawks don’t give up, and as the “Jared Goff” chants hit at 11:50, Chicago was beginning to earn some scoring chances.

Pat Maroon hit Erik Gustafsson from behind, no call, and the Hawks stole the puck in the Wings’ end and Talbot had to make a big stop on Donato…

Luckily, at 14:00, Bedard sat for a hook on DeBrincat, and while the Hawks won the initial faceoff, and pushed the puck into Detroit’s end, Seider set up DeBrincat, he raced over to find Raymond, Larkin reversed for DeBrincat, to Kane it went, then Raymond, Seider and Larkin, back and forth, down low to DeBrincat, a jab to Larkin, Kane slid to DeBrincat and missed, Raymond, Seider and Kane fed Larkin in the slot, and the Hawks cleared it down…

Larkin got hacked repeatedly by Teravainen but he held firm and Detroit chipped with the 2nd unit on the ice, Gustafsson held the line for Tarasenko, Compher cycled, back to Gustafsson, Tarasenko was blocked off, Kasper roared up the right wing to and from Tarasenko, the PP ended but not before Rasmussen got a chance.

Bedard came out of the box and was stopped by Talbot, who held on with 3:50 left in the 3rd.

Chicago pulled Mrazek with 3:50 left in the 3rd, and the Hawks won the faceoff, cycled, but Chiarot found Raymond, Raymond fed Larkin and he hit the outside of the net, affording Chicago some possession…

Jones ripped the puck deep, Chiarot battled, Raymond and Kasper rolled it down the ice, Bedard beat Larkin to the puck, Donato chipped, Edvinsson chased but gave it to Teravainen, and it was 4-3. Teravainen scored as Bertuzzi fell into Talbot, sans call.

Teravainen scored unassisted at 17:04 to make it 4-3 Detroit.

The Hawks pulled Mrazek again with 2:07 left, and Larkin could not clear, Donato fired a shot in on Talbot, who stopped the puck, Kasper and Raymond could not convert, but Raymond walked in, was stopped by Foligno, Edvinsson fed KASPER AND HE PUT THE GAME AWAY.

Kasper scored from Edvinsson at 18:21. 5-3 Detroit.

That was the game.

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!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *