Red Wings-Maple Leafs game #2 Tweetcap: Detroit rallies to end the exhibition season with a 6-5 OT win over the Laffs

The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up their 8-games-in-12-nights exhibition game season with a home affair against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena.

Toronto dressed a unit of prospects and players reflective of a road exhibition game; the Red Wings went with a game-night roster, with the exception of giving Emmitt Finnie, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Axel Sandin Pellikka one last opportunity to push for a spot on the opening-night roster.

On Saturday night, the Red Wings won a wild one via a 6-5 overtime tally. Toronto took 2-1, 3-2, 4-2, and 5-3 leads, but the Red Wings rallied with a 3rd period PPG from Dylan Larkin, a goal with 31 seconds left from Albert Johansson, and a second goal from Dylan Larkin 3:21 into OT, on the power play.

Detroit’s John Gibson did not have his best night, surrendering 5 goals on 25 shots, but the Red Wings’ 1st and 2nd period malaise gave way to a scintillating 3rd period, with the Red Wings being awarded 4 3rd period PP’s and 1 OT PP, upon which they capitalized. Detroit went 1-for-1 in 5-on-3 and 4-on-3 PP’s, going 2-for-7 overall.

Otherwise, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard had 2 goals, Axel Sandin Pellikka had 2 assists, Emmitt Finnie faded a bit, Larkin scored 2, Edvinsson had 2 assists, Raymond had 2 assists, Kane went 1G, 2A, 3 PT and Moritz Seider played a tremendous 28:38 of ice time.

1ST PERIOD: The Red Wings and Maple Leafs dressed the following starters and lineups:

Detroit got away with a too-many men penalty at 4:30, with the referees arguing that there was incidental puck contact with a player going off the ice at the Red Wings’ bench.

PENALTY: Detroit DID get called for too many men at 6:54 of the 1st period.

Elmer Soderblom served the bench minor.

Copp, Compher, Chiarot and Seider worked the first PK unit; Kasper, Finnie, Edvinsson and Bernard-Docker worked the second PK unit. Larkin, Sandin Pellikka and Johansson got some work on the PK as well.

The shots were 6-0 Toronto at 10:00 of the 1st.

GOAL: Off a good neutral zone transfer from Simon Edvinsson, J.T. Compher raced up the left wing, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard crashed the net and tapped home a backhand pass from Compher to make it 1-0 DETROIT at 11:08.

DETROIT 1, Toronto 0. Brandsegg-Nygard from Compher and Edvinsson.

PENALTY: Moritz Seider got caught hooking Easton Cowan at 13:59 of the 1st. Toronto earned its 2nd PP as Easton Cowan chicken winged Seider’s stick.

GOAL: Off a shot by Henry Thrun, Michael Barbolini jabbed the rebound along to Logan Shaw, and Toronto tied the game 1-1 as Gibson could not move laterally enough to make the stop at 15:56.

DETROIT 1, TORONTO 1 @ 15:56. Shaw from Barbolini and Thrun.

PENALTY: Simon Benoit went for holding at 16:37.

GOAL: Nicholas Robertson came off the bench and was the recipient of a stretch pass from Calle Jarnrkok and he ripped a shorthanded goal through John Gibson at 17:45 of the 1st.

DETROIT 1, TORONTO 2 @ 17:45. Robertson from Jarnkrok and Myers, shorthanded.

2ND PERIOD:

GOAL: Off a period of extended cycling in the offensive zone by the Larkin line, they changed lines, Simon Edvinsson got the puck working for the Kane line, and Patrick Kane ripped a gently-placed shot top shelf over Hildeby to tie the game 2-2 at 5:04. The goal read Kane from DeBrincat and Edvinsson.

DETROIT 2, TORONTO 2 @ 5:04. Kane from DeBrincat and Edvinsson.

PENALTY: Michael Rasmussen was called for “trippping” Henry Thrun at 6:38 of the 2nd period. Penalty to Detroit.

PENALTY: Marco Kasper gave Toronto 1:43 of a 5-on-3 because Marco Kasper chipped the puck into the crowd, though the Red Wings were dissatisfied with the ruling. Kasper at 6:56 of the 2nd, delay of game.

PENALTY: With 20 seconds left in the Leafs’ 5-on-3 advantage, Mason Appleton cleared the puck all the way down the ice and into the crowd at 8:19. Delay of game to Appleton at 8:19 2nd period.

Detroit killed the first 5-on-3, and the 14-second second 5-on-3 due to fine penalty-killing and a very good John Gibson…

Detroit killed all 3 penalties.

GOALTENDING CHANGE: At 10:48 of the 2nd period, James Reimer replaced Dennis Hildeby.

Shortly thereafter, the tribes came together as Dylan Larkin was ran heavily post-shot by Simon Benoit. Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson got into the pile a bit as Phillipe Myers and Luke Haymes pushed and shoved:

GOAL: Andrew Copp gave the puck up to Michael Pezzetta at the Leafs’ blueline, Pezzetta raced in 3-on-2, and he beat John Gibson 5-hole to make it 3-2 Toronto at 16:03.

DETROIT 2, TORONTO 3 at 16:03 2nd, Pezzetta, unassisted.

GOAL: Worse, the Leafs set up a 2-on-1 against Moritz Seider, and William Nylander fired a ramp shot off Seider’s stick to make it 4-2 at 16:56 of the 2nd.

DETROIT 2, TORONTO 4 at 16:56 2nd. Nylander from Pare.

3RD PERIOD:

Detroit did not start the 3rd period well. John Gibson stopped 3 big shots by Leaf players off turnovers by Detroit.

PENALTY: Michael Pezzetta sat for hooking Lucas Raymond at 2:46 of the 3rd period, in the Leafs’ slot. Kind of a penalty you have to take to deny a goal against.

Detroit did not score on their 2nd PP of the game. Toronto still had a 5-2 PP advantage.

There were some good things going on in the game, however, including Axel Sandin Pellikka’s play:

Simon Edvinsson and Sandin Pellikka were a pair on defense during the 3rd period, as were Albert Johansson and Moritz Seider.

Emmitt Finnie remained on the top line as well, though he was not as dominant as he was in Toronto on Thursday.

PENALTY: Easton Cowan sat for holding Ben Chiarot at 11:48 of the 3rd period.

Worse, Phillipe Myers shoved Alex DeBrincat into Reimer’s butt-end, but they didn’t call the shove, and a bleeding DeBrincat =/= a penalty on Reimer.

GOAL: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard scored on a one-timer from Axel Sandin Pellikka and Marco Kasper to make it 4-3 at 12:32, on the power play…

DETROIT 3, TORONTO 4, Brandsegg-Nygard from Sandin Pellikka and Kasper @ 12:32 3rd.

GOAL: But Toronto’s Cedric Pare scored a 5-3 goal from Travis Boyd and Michael Pezzetta to at 12:46 of the 3rd, with Gibson giving up a softy on the blocker side.

DETROIT 2, TORONTO 5. Pare from Boyd and Pezzetta at 12:46 3rd.

It was a bad luck type of night:

PENALTY: Vinny Lettieri got called for hooking at 15:32 of the 3rd period. Detroit earned its 3rd power play.

PENALTY: Simon Benoit was called at 16:47 for a cross-check to Dylan Larkin’s back.

GOALIE PULL: John Gibson was pulled at 16:47 to make it a 6-on-3.

GOAL: Dylan Larkin scored on the 6-on-3 from Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond to make it 5-4 with 2:41 left in the 3rd.

DETROIT 4, TORONTO 5. Larkin from Kane and Raymond at 17:19, PPG.

GOALIE PULL: Detroit pulled Gibson again at 17:20.

TIMEOUT: Detroit at 18:12.

GOALIE PULL: Gibson remained on the bench.

Detroit did not score on its power play, but the kids came out…

GOAL: AND ALBERT JOHANSSON TIED THE GAME FROM SANDIN PELLIKKA WITH RASMUSSEN SCREENING REIMER.

DETROIT 5, TORONTO 5. Johansson from Sandin Pellikka and Compher at 19:29 3rd period.

OVERTIME:

PENALTY: At 1:59 of OT Detroit was awarded a power play as Phillipe Myers got called for high-sticking. Detroit headed to its 5th power play.

GOAL: On the power play, Detroit scored the 6-on-5 goal as Dylan Larkin took a Patrick Kane pass and ripped a high, heavy shot over Reimer’s shoulder. Raymond had the other assist at 3:21 of OT.

DETROIT 6, TORONTO 5. Larkin from Kane and Raymond at 3:21, PPG.

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!