Red Wings-Canadiens quick take: Wings hold off the Habs

The Detroit Red Wings faced off against the Montreal Canadiens with the Wings looking to narrow the 5-point gap between the teams in the Eastern Conference standings–and looking to gain some revenge for the Canadiens’ sweep of a home-and-home series between the teams last December.

On Thursday night, the Red Wings tried their fans’ pulses, racing out to a 3-0 lead on goals by Berggren, DeBrincat and Copp (shorthanded) before giving up a 3-1 and 4-2 goals sandwiched by Dylan Larkin’s 21st of the season in game 700…

But Cam Talbot ended up stopping 28 of 30 shots, the Wings peppered Samuel Montembeault with 45 shots, Detroit went 1-for-4 in 4:55 of PP time and killed not only 3 Canadiens power plays in 5:16, but also killed a failed goal challenged at 9:39 of the 3rd…

And the Wings held on to defeat the dangerous Habs 4-2.

In pregame warmups, Cam Talbot and Samuel Montembeault led their respective teams onto the ice at Little Caesars Arena:

And the Canadiens announced their lineup around the same time that the Red WIngs did:

The starters and scratches were as follows:

In the 1st period, Berggren, Compher and Veleno started opposite Gallagher, Dvorak and Anderson, with Edvisson and Johansson on defense, and Talbot opposing Montembeault in goal;

The Canadiens lost the opening faceoff as the Red Wings won it going forward and Edvinsson could not keep the blueline after a good cycle, so Talbot tapped the puck to Edvinsson who was hit hard by Gallagher as he released an outlet pass, Detroit cycled through the offensive zone and Montembeault stopped Compher’s shot 45 seconds into the 1st.

The Canadiens won the next draw at their blueline, opposite the Larkin line, and they chipped and chased, but Chiarot facilitated a Larkin-to-Raymond chance that went wide. Montreal chipped the puck all the way down the ice and Detroit changed 1:25 into the 1st;

Talbot played the puck around for Holl and up to Tarasenko, who DeBrincat preceded into the zone, so Detroit tagged up and the Canadiens chipped and chased, but Holl banged and David Savard took a rim-around and sent the first shot in on Talbot at 2:08.

Rasmussen drew in for the fourth line as he took a d-zone draw and Johansson and Edvinsson held off the Canadiens, Edvinsson chugged up the gut himself, and fired a shot in on Montembeault which was easily gloved at 2:26.

Detroit held center ice and regrouped in their own zone as Edvinsson fed Rasmussen and Soderblom, who went in on the forecheck hitting heavily, and Dettroit regrouped again at center with Compher chipping a shot into Carrier, and Seider then set up a rush with Berggren, Compher and Veleno as the Wings completed their 4-line rotation…

And Seider repelled a rush by Josh Anderson into the Red Wings’ zone 3:30 into the 1st period.

Larkin took a bouncing puck at center ice and chipped it into Montembeault at 4:10, but the Habs’ goalie was able to easily glove the puck.

On the next rush, the Canadiens stood up defensively, and made it much harder for the Larkin line to penetrate the zone…

And Mike Matheson knocked down DeBrincat racing away, but was not called, and so Ben Chiarot took a pass form DeBrincat and put it off Montembeault’s toe;

Copp cycled to Chiarot and Seider, who fired wide off the end boards, and Chiarot and Tarasenko held the blueline but the Canadiens raced out 5:39 in, and Talbot blubbed a puck so Dach fed Newhook in front, and Talbot had to make a big save to keep the score at zeroes.

Soon after, Larkin, Kasper and Raymond cycled for a sneaky shot in on Montembeault that was stifled;

Albert Johansson made THREE good pass blocks at the Red Wings’ blueline to negate a rush 7:15 into the 1st;

Montembeault had to come out to stop a rush by Berggren at one end, and then Gallagher blasted a shot wide of Talbot in the Wings’ zone…

On a 3-on-2, Seider made the wrong decision and passed to Berggren on his off wing, yielding an easy stop for Montembeault, again, with the glove, some 8:30 in…

Edvinsson made a lovely pass to Tarasenko in the slot, but Tarasenko’s bad luck seems to follow him around like a shadow, so he missed the pass;

Larkin fed Raymond for an out-of-the-air attempt that was blocked off by Carrier in the Canadiens’ crease, but Raymond re-cycled and regrouped to keep the pressure on Montreal, backhanding a sharp-angle shot off Montembeault;

Detroit led in shots 9-3 at the halfway mark of the 1st, and as play continued, the Red Wings were doing a great job of cycling vs. Montembeault and the Canadiens…

With Elmer Soderblom generating a hell of a chance in front of the Canadiens’ goaltender at 11:24 of the 1st.

When play resumed after a TV timeout, Copp and DeBrincat cycled well as DeBrincat got a shot off on Montembeault, Edvinsson pinched for Tarasenko, and the Canadiens blocked the shot wide of Montembeault, but they iced the puck as well…

Raymond raced in up the left wing side some 12:21 and Larkin chipped a shot from the slot into Montembeault, but Suzuki checked Larkin’s swing to prevent the Wings’ captain from pumping a full-speed shot into the Habs’ goalie.

After surrendering a big shot attempt to Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson, Detroit went the other way, Dylan Larkin got tied up in the corner, but he spotted Jonatan Berggren coming off the bench, Berggren snuck into the right wing faceoff dot, and he flickered a screened shot through Montembeault to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.

Berggren scored at 13:00 to make it 1-0 Detroit. Larkin assisted.

The Canadiens dominated territorially on the bump-up shift, but the Wings held the Canadiens to the perimeter, and DeBrincat, Tarasenko and Copp relieved the Rasmussen line to battle the Habs in their end of the ice.

Big Ben Chiarot sent a pass to Moritz Seider that yielded a shot aiming for Montembeault’s head, and Raymond cycled off a takeaway to Kasper, then Larkin, the Wings’ captain reversed, his shot was blocked, but Raymond held the zone, Kasper fed Larkin but put the puck off his glove, Gustafsson deked and Gallagher prevented the Wings from sustaining pressure about 80 seconds into a great shift.

Montreal of course drew a penalty on Detroit and Talbot had to make a big stop on Cole Caufield at 16:35.

Simon Edvinsson sat at 16:35 of the 1st period, for high-sticking.

On the penalty-kill, Larkin drew in for the opening faceoff and won it, but Caufield cycled to the Habs’ blueline, only to find Larkin ready to clear the zone.

Hutson broke out to Suzuki and the Canadiens set up in the Wings’ zone, and they tried to set up Laine for a right-wing faceoff circle slap shot as they cycled repeatedly, but Suzuki chose to snap a shot in on Talbot to test him from the high slot, and Talbot made a good stop.

Larkin won the next defensive zone draw, but Anderson held the blueline, Montreal then watched Larkin skate away from a Rasmussen block, and…Montreal’s Kirby Dach was called for a slash on Michael Rasmussen at 17:51.

On the 44-second 4-on-4, Detroit’s Compher and Copp cycled deep, and the Canadiens regrouped, Suzuki fed Guhle, he walked up through center and dropped to Suzuki, Caufield broke through but Copp and Johansson stood up, and Johansson walked through center, Copp tipped a shot and Montembeault held the puck.

As the Wings prepared for the PP, Raymond worked the point after Larkin won a draw deep in the Canadiens’ zone, Larkin held the line for Seider, Seider walked it down low for DeBrincat, to Raymond, to Seider, Montembeault stopped the puck with his mask, and Detroit regrouped through center ice;

DeBrincat fed Tarasenko down low to Raymond to DeBrincat, back to Raymond, 30 seconds left in the 1st, Seider shot stopped, rebound to Seider at the point, Raymond lw side walks to Tarasenko to Raymond to Seider for Raymond shot hard but wide and the PP ended with 8 seconds left, and DEBRINCAT TOOK A RAYMOND PASS AND RIPPED IT HIGH THROUGH MONTEMBEAULT TO GIVE THE WINGS THE 2-0 LEAD WITH 2.8 SECONDS REMAINING.

DeBrincat scored from Raymond and Seider at 19:56 of the 1st period. 2-0 Detroit.

In the 2nd period, Larkin’s line started opposite Suzuki and company, and the Wings won the initial faceoff, chipped and chased, but the Canadiens took the puck and battled through Raymond and Seider to clear their zone.

Detroit regrouped with Larkin bumping a Habs defender, Kasper digging along the boards, and Larkin trying to center the puck for Raymond only to find a Canadien tipping the puck away;

So Berggren raced in for Veleno, and Guhle laid out to stop Veleno’s shot;

Detroit regrouped, cleared their zone, and Matheson sent the puck up for Laine who chipped and changed, Johansson and Edvinsson set up and Detroit chipped and changed some 1:25 gone;

Tarasenko was unable to push the puck any further than center ice, so Edvinsson and Holl worked with DeBrincat to push the puck around the boards and out;

Montreal then walked in but Edvinsson made a beautiful takeaway, and at the other end, Tarasenko got two whacks in on Montembeault in tight, but he was stifled;

2:35 into the 2nd, Soderblom, Rasmussen and company cycled and Rasmussen sent a nice shot into Montembeault, only to be challenged in the corner by Xhekaj.

Rasmussen said, “No thank you.”

Moritz Seider got hit very heavily in the Habs’ corner behind their net, but the Wings ground out the puck down low for a bit…

And Seider got called for wrapping his arm around Jake Evans’ head, being called for roughing at 3:10.

On the penalty-kill, Larkin drew in and won the faceoff in the Wings’ end, Detroit could not clear, however, so Laine set up, Suzuki fed Laine who was stopped, Caufield fed Hudson at the point, to Laine, stopped again, Canadiens work the perimeter, but Detroit clears and changes at 35 seconds of the PK;

Laine drops for Hutson deke dangle through the slot but blocked off by Holl, to the line ffor Caufield to Hutson, down low and lateralled by Slafkovsky through Suzuki, Hutson blocked, breakaway COPP AND COPP RIPS IT THROUGH MONTEMBEAULT TO SCORE SHORTHANDED!

Andrew Copp makes it 3-0 at 4:25 from Edvinsson as Hutson lost the puck in his feet.

The Canadiens continued on the PP for 30 seconds, and Dach worked the “Laine Spot” with Gallagher, Matheson and Newhook who was stifled by Talbot, Rasmussen’s stick broke, Seider raced back into the play and battled Dach, Dvorak could not stop it, Matheson was stopped, but Dach wrapped the puck around the goal and Montreal made it 3-1.

The goal read Dach from Dvorak and Gallagher at 5:29, even strength. 3-1.

Montreal looked perked up after their goal, and Talbot stopped a shot in the slot shakily…

Carrier was stripped by DeBrincat in the Habs’ zone and Raymond was unable to stuff the puck home thanks to Suzuki’s back-check, but Detroit said, “Hello, we’re still here” to the Canadiens.

Then Raymond, Seider, Chiarot, Seider, Kasper and Larkin cycled well, Seider fed Raymond, through his feet, Raymond knocked over, and Suzuki headed to the penalty box at 7:15.

On the power play, Detroit won the initial draw and Montembeault made one stop on Tarasenko, he fed DeBrincat for a shot that was stopped off the cycle, Raymond, Seider, Tarasenko fed Larkin and he JAMMED HOME THE 4-1 GOAL THROUGH MONTEMBEAULT.

Larkin scored at 7:50, PPG, 4-1. From Tarasenko and Seider.

On the bump-up shift, Soderblom and Fischer connected for a beautiful chance where Soderblom was stopped by Montembeault;

Detroit continued to press, but the Canadiens worked back through center, only to be repelled by Detroit, and a bouncing puck was what kept the Wings from making it 5-1 as Berggren fed Copp in the slot;

With 10:30 left in the 2nd, Detroit regrouped in their own zone, pushed through center and Copp chipped a snapper into Montembeault.

Tarasenko also got some shit from Xhekaj trying to start a fight and/or generate a spark with 9:44 gone in the 2nd, off a good shot and chase around the net, but Tarasenko is not a fighter.

So the Wings continued playing, Suzuki was stopped by Talbot, and Copp raced in but was blocked by Matheson at the other end of the ice;

As play continued, Raymond fed Kasper for an “almost” at the side of the goal 10:45 into the 2nd;

And sadly, Guhle flickered a shot through traffic to make it 4-2 at 11:06.

Guhle scored the 4-2 marker from Laine and Dach at 11:06 of the 2nd period.

So the Canadiens were far from out of the game.

As such, Detroit looked to put the pedal back onto the medal, and SODERBLOM almost scored off another great feed from Fischer in the slot;

The Canadiens certainly understood their job, and Dach tried to wrap around Talbot with a “Michigan” at 12:40;

Detroit was winning a lot of stick battles and one-on-one scrums due to puck support, however.

When play resumed with 6:37 left in the 2nd, the Canadiens were starting to win faceoffs and generate rush plays, but Detroit still held the edge in possession and control in the offensive zone, and that mattered…

Because the Canadiens were very dangerous in the offensive zone, and very confident, of course.

The Habs were hacking and whacking Detroit much more regularly, too, affording them a big push in the final portion of the 2nd.

Raymond made a good block as play resumed and kicked the puck deep for Kasper, and Chiarot boomed a shot into Montembeault, whose rebound was cycled by Deroit, and Kasper did a good job battling Slafkovsky, but the Candiens took over until the line, where Kasper held the puck in, Raymond regrouped through center, and Seider and Johansson worked through center as Detroit changed, with both Johansson and Veleno blocked;

Newhook went the other way and fired a hard shot into Talbot with 4:19 left, and again, Laine and Dach were the latest Canadiens to go looking for trouble, this time challenging Simon Edvinsson to a duel.

Edvinsson said, “Non, merci.”

The Canadiens then took over for a couple of shifts, so the Larkin line was thrown over the boards to steady the ship, and while Larkin lost a draw, the Wings blocked the Habs’ point shot into the crowd…

Detroit battled the next set of exchanges to the boards, Armia battled Larkin in his feet, and Larkin cleared the zone and got off the ice with 3:05 remaining;

Off a turnover, Larkin fed Soderblom up the right wing, and Johansson fired a shot in on Montembeault that was gloved down.

The Canadiens really pushed as their confidence grew, and the Wings looked to need to get the hell out of the 2nd period against Montreal with the score at 4-2.

Seider helped Berggren rip a 33rd shot into Montembeault’s glove with 1:01 remaining, and on the next shift, Edvinsson worked with Larkin and Raymond to cycle deep, Kasper ground it out, Raymond battled Carrier, Edvinsson fired a shot wide, Caufield was blocked off, but Guhle chipped, Talbot chased, Kasper gave it down and Slafkovsky was stopped by Talbot with 23.3 left in the period.

Compher drew in and lost a faceoff, Hutson cycled and the puck rolled over Talbot and wide of the goal, Hutson again held the line, and Compher and Copp cleared the zone and gave the Wings some relief at the end of the 2nd.

In the 3rd period, Detroit’s Compher lost the initial draw, and Montreal pressed immediately, but Compher blocked a pass, the Habs could not hold the line, and Detroit regrouped as best it could, looking a little shaky.

Raymond came over the boards 40 seconds in, and he was joined by Larkin and Kasper, who chipped and chased…

The Canadiens took over, however, Caufield walked into a shot going wide, and Detroit cleared the zone, but again, Montreal regrouped, Hutson chipped, Larkin chased and fed Kasper, back to Larkin he went, but the pass was too far…

1:30 in, Caufield deked and dangled at the blueline, but he went offside…

Montreal’s defensemen were pinching, Montreal was doing its best to disrupt the Wings’ attack, and they looked far more confident, honestly.

Caufield walked into a shot and was stopped by Talbot once, and Suzuki twice at 2:22.

Soderblom lost a stick on the next shift, but Talbot made a good glove stop.

Worryingly, Simon Edvinsson got hit with a shot at center ice, and he exited the bench for a bit…

And Raymond was dumped by Dach sans call some 4:30 in…

So the Wings went with Gustafsson and Johansson…

CAM TALBOT made a HUGE save when Caufield was able to break away from the Wings’ defense, and at the other end, Montembeault got help from the post around 5:30 into the 3rd;

Edvinsson returned to the bench around 5:45;

The Canadiens screamed as Gallagher raced into the slot, toe picked, and wasn’t able to draw a penalty;

Rasmussen and Soderblom generated shot attempts on Montembeault thereafter;

After a TV timeout, the Canadiens were leading in shots 6-4 with 13:36 remaining, and the Habs certainly were stifling the Wings through center ice, blocking passes and disrupting the rush…

So time passed and the Wings were still on their “back skate,” so to speak, against a Canadiens team earning more and more offensive zone time…

Talbot stopped Dach coming out of the corner vs. Edvinsson;

Raymond, Larkin and Kasper ground out a good shift in which Larkin got a shot off and Kasper went to the slot to bang Montembeault and a few Habs bodies;

Gustafsson held the line and Raymond and Kasper nearly stole the puck as Detroit held the line and Larkin got a shot off Montembeault that he had to grab…

And Xhekaj went after Soderblom and the Canadiens grabbed at Raymond as well.

Detroit won the next draw via Soderblom, and the Wings’ big men cycled, Rasmussen jabbed and FISCHER SCORED BUT THE REFEREES CALLED IT NO GOAL ON THE ICE BECAUSE RASMUSSEN WAS RUN INTO THE POST.

Detroit challenged, arguing that David Savard and Xhekaj pushed Rasmussen into Montembeault.

With 10:21 left in the 3rd, this was a pivotal call.

THE REFEREES REVIEWED THE PLAY AND GAVE THE CANADIENS A POWER PLAY INSTEAD.

Alex DeBrincat sat in the penalty box, and the Red Wings went to the PK.

On the PK, Hutson fed Laine, who fanned, and Veleno ripped the puck down the ice, and Larkin went off after losing the faceoff;

Montreal skated through center, Datsyuk Dropped, Hutson was blocked at the line and Compher chipped and changed, as did Veleno;

Rasmussen and Compher and Holl and Edvinsson battled Suzuki, to Hutson, to Slafkovsky, shot wide, out of play with 56 left in the PK and 9:16 left in the 3rd.

Edvinsson blocked the Slafkovsky shot.

Detroit won the next draw and cleared the puck down the ice vs. the Gallagher unit…

Copp and Veleno worked the PK, and Newhook raced in, dropped to Gallagher, the Habs cycled, but Copp cleared with 20 left in the PK.

Matheson dropped for Dach, he raced in vs. Chiarot who cleared, and the penalty EXPIRED.

No shots for Montreal, 8:19 left 3rd.

Edvinsson cleared to center and DeBrincat tipped the puck deep and changed…

As play continued, Larkin fed Kasper in the slot, but Kasper was hooked and held (apparently legally) too much to do more than poke the puck in on Montembeault.

When play resumed after a TV timeout with 7:50 left in the 3rd, Talbot made a stop and DEBRINCAT OF ALL PEOPLE blocked a shot that was going behind his goaltender;

But the Canadiens were ON THE ATTACK, and Gallagher, Anderson and Carrier crashed the net, but DeBrincat and the Wings cleared, Raymond and Larkin and Kasper came over the boards…

Raymond fired a shot off a skate, Seider held for Larkin, he looked for help, stopped, fired a shot himself and Montembeault stopped that;

Raymond cycled to the line, went deep for Kasper, and Detroit regrouped at center…

Then MONTEMBEAULT ROBBED COMPHER in the slot, flopping and flailing…And being bailed out by the goalpost…

And Joe Veleno was taken down by Lane Hutson, and Hutson went to the box as he should have with 5:25 left/14:35 elapsed.

On the power play, Larkin, Raymond, DeBrincat, Seider and company lost the initial faceoff but battled it forward, and Seider chipped a dump-in and another dump-in back out to center;

Larkin was stifled at center so he dropped to Raymond, who raced in himself, he was dumped by Matheson, DeBrincat fed Seider, to Tarasenko it went, to Larkin, he was tied up by Evans, but Raymond went back in, dropped to Larkin and he was stoned by Montembeault.

With 1:03 left in the PP and 4:27 left in regulation time, the 2nd unit came out and the Habs dumped the puck down ice;

Gustafsson and Chiarot worked on “D” with Rasmussen, Compher and Berggren, and the Habs actually got a couple of shots off–wide, mostly–so the Wings let the time burn off the clock and Copp raced through center, was dumped, and that was the power play.

Slafkovsky then sent a chipper in on Talbot that was gloved and held for a faceoff with 3:07 left, and Montembeault was pulled with 3:07 remaining…

Larkin won the draw and Detroit could not clear, so the Canadiens cycled, worked the point, Matheson put a shot off the outside of the post, and out of play with 2:52 remaining…

Larkin lost the next draw and Hutson, Matheson and Laine played catch, Matheson was blocked, Seider could not clear vs. Laine, Larkin battled Hutson, Matheson held the line for Hutson and his shot was tipped into the netting with 2:10 left…

Both teams changed lines and Compher drew in vs. the Habs, he lost the draw and Dach, Gallagher, Carrier, Newhook et. al. worked vs. Johansson and Edvinsson and Compher, Rasmussen and Veleno…

Newhook blasted a shot into Talbot from the slot…

Larkin and Seider were unable to clear the next faceoff, so the Canadiens set up, Guhle cycled for Gallagher, stopped shot, Raymond flickered a shot down the ice for the empty net, but it went wide and the Wings had to ice it with 1:10 left.

Larkin tied up the next draw and the Canadiens got whistled for a high stick as Slafkovsky hacked Chiarot in the face, albeit accidentally, with 1:04 remaining. He sat.

On the power play, Copp drew in vs. Dach and won the draw to Chiarot, Seider slithered a pass to Tarasenko, back it went, down low Seider fired it on Montembeault, who made a stop, the Habs raced in and held the line, DeBrincat took over for Chiarot with 30 left, he dropped to DeBrincat, back to Seider it went, he was double teamed but cleared to Chiarot, DeBrincat helped Chiarot stand behind the net, Detroit cleared to center, and DeBrincat dropped for Tarasenko blocked…

END OF GAME DETROIT WINS 4-2.

Statistics: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

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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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