Red Wings-Ducks Tweetcap: Detroit defeats the Mucky Ducks, bit Gibson’s status is murky

The Detroit Red Wings emerged from a mini training camp (a.k.a. a 3-day break) facing the red-hot Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, with the Red Wings hoping to snap a 3-game losing streak.

At Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night, the Red Wings didn’t win easy, but they won a 6-3 decision over the Anaheim Ducks that felt more like a 4-3 victory.

Moritz Seider would open the scoring only 5:57 in, but Cutter Gauthier would tie the game at 7:35…

Michael Rasmussen would restore the lead at 12:42, but Chris Kreider would push back at 14:54…

Thankfully, Axel Sandin Pellikka would score at 15:33 of the 2nd, and the Ducks couldn’t deal with Alex DeBrincat’s “insurance” goal at 50 seconds of the 3rd period, even though Mikael Granlund would score past Cam Talbot…

Who had relieved John Gibson in goal after Gibson was tripped by Beckett Sennecke at the end of the 2nd period.

Ultimately, Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat (empty net) would score two more goals in the 3rd period, and Talbot would stop a superb 11 shots in relief of Gibson, who stopped 15 of 17…

But Gibson’s absence is worrisome given that the Wings play back-to-backs against Buffalo at home and the Rangers on the road this weekend, because both Sebastian Cossa and Michal Postava are injured in Grand Rapids.

We’ll find out more on Friday, obviously, but things could be really sketchy here in goal.

But, for one night, the Wings broke their 3-game winless streak, and they did so while taking a measure of revenge on the tremendously talented Ducks.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Lukas Dostal led their respective teams onto the ice at LCA…

Anaheim brought back Ryan Strome and Mikael Granlund into their lineup…

And the Red Wings posted their lineup soon after:

1ST PERIOD:

The teams dressed the following starters and lineups:

The Ducks really came out flying, with the Gauthier line holding the Wings’ second line in their own zone for 1:30, and as the game progressed, Anaheim was really in full fight while the Red Wings shook out the cobwebs.

Detroit responded well, but their execution was rusty, and both teams bumped and ground in front of Dostal.

Seven minutes into the 1st period, the Red Wings led in shots 5-0 and attempts 11-4, but the Wings were also being out-hustled physically.

PENALTIES: at 7:13 of the 1st, Marco Kasper and Mason McTavish sat for roughing, giving the Wings and Ducks a 4-on-4 situation.

On the 4-on-4, Detroit did OK, but they gave up a tremendous net-front chance to Troy Terry, with John Gibson making a tremendous save.

PENALTY: Drew Helleson was called for head-locking Dylan Larkin post-whistle at 10:40 of the 1st period. Detroit earned its first power play through a scrum…

But the first play of the power play involved Alex DeBrincat having to help Axel Sandin Pellikka stifle a Ducks 2-on-1 shorthanded.

Ultimately, the Ducks generated 3 scoring chances, two of which were stifled by John Gibson’s spectacular goaltending.

Jonatan Berggren got the Wings’ first real scoring chance with 4:02 left in the 1st, off a lateral pass from Simon Edvinsson, but Berggren fired it into Dostal’s tummy.

PENALTY: Jonatan Berggren took Beckett Sennecke into the Wings’ crossbar at 17:03 and was called for roughing.

PENALTY: Sennecke and Simon Edvinsson were called for roughing at 18:25, yielding a 4-on-3 PP…

PENALTY: And Mason McTavish made it even strength for Detroit at 18:29 by tripping Andrew Copp on a faceoff.

Detroit headed to a short power play with about 57 seconds remaining, and the Wings struggled to set up, and gave up another scoring chance to Alex Killorn, who made John Gibson create a little more larceny in the goal crease.

Also:

2ND PERIOD:

The Red Wings began the 2nd period with 29 seconds of PP time, and didn’t do much with it.

PENALTY: Alex DeBrincat accidentally tripped a Ducks defenseman at 1:16 of the 2nd period and sat for tripping.

Detroit actually earned some momentum off the PK, and Lukas Dostal had to make some tremendous stops on DeBrincat and JBD.

PENALTY: At 5:23, Mason McTavish grabbed Mason Appleton and held him. McTavish sat.

GOAL: Moritz Seider scored a power play marker thanks to a fine point shot that went off Lacombe, with DeBrincat “flying by” Dostal to prevent the Ducks’ goaltender from seeing the puck…

Detroit 1, Anaheim 0: Seider (2) from Raymond (10) and Kane (4) at 5:57, power play.

GOAL: Albert Johansson couldn’t keep the blueline, and Beckett Sennecke charged up 2-on-1 with Gauthier vs. Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Cutter Gauthier took a lateral pass and heeled the puck through John Gibson to make it a 1-1 tie.

Detroit 1, Anaheim 1: Gauthier (12) from Sennecke (6) and Trouba (8) at 7:35 2nd period.

GOAL: A few minutes later, Michael Rasmussen was set up for a fine shot 1-on-1 against a Duck defender who tipped the puck top shelf on Lukas Dostal, affording Detroit a 2-1 lead.

Detroit 2, Anaheim 1: Rasmussen (2) from Copp (6) and Berggren (3) at 12:42 2nd period.

GOAL: Anaheim’s Chris Kreider was set up by a tremendous backhand pass from Jackson Lacombe and Kreider put the puck off the goalpost from the left faceoff circle to tie the game 2-2.

Detroit 2, Anaheim 2: Kreider (10) from Lacombe (7) and Helleson (7) at 14:54.

GOAL: Axel Sandin Pellikka ripped the puck through Lukas Dostal cleanly from the right wing blueline as Andrew Copp screened Lukas Dostal 39 seconds after the Anaheim goal, at 15:33, with help from Jonatan Berggren and Ben Chiarot:

Detroit 3, Anaheim 2: Axel Sandin Pellikka (2) from Jonatan Berggren (4) and Ben Chiarot (3) at 15:33.

PENALTIES: The teams got a 4-on-4 at 18:13 as Alex Killorn was called for holding the stick of Albert Johansson, who was called for holding Killorn.

3RD PERIOD:

The Red Wings were damaged by Anaheim in the goal…Beckett Sennecke tripped Gibson sans penalty late in the 2nd period.

PENALTY: Chris Kreider roughed Lucas Raymond after play at 45 seconds…

GOAL: And Alex DeBrincat would tip down a Moritz Seider shot off a faceoff win tugged back by Patrick Kane only 5 seconds in to give the Wings a 4-2 lead.

Detroit 4, Anaheim 2: DeBrincat (5) from Seider (6) and Kane (5) at 50 seconds of the 3rd, power play.

GOAL: And in a baffling play, Moore would send a shot toward Talbot and Mikael Granlund would tip the puck off the heel of his stick through Cam Talbot at 4:33 of the 3rd period.

Detroit 4, Anaheim 3: Granlund (3) from Moore (1) and Strome (1) at 4:33 3rd period.

GOAL: And Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond managed to sneak past the Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke, Larkin and Raymond played catch, and Larkin shoveled the puck through Lukas Dostal to regain the Red Wings’ 2-goal lead.

Detroit 5, Anaheim 5: Larkin (10) from Raymond (11) and DeBrincat (12) at 5:06.

The game was pretty wild in terms of the scoring going up and down and up and down the ice, but Detroit was a little leaky in the 3rd, and Talbot was understandably just getting his game legs under him, so Detroit was in some danger in terms of turnovers and Anaheim’s skill level.

Larkin did stumble into Dostal for a moment, too, but Dostal was fine.

PENALTY: Simon Edvinsson got tagged for holding at 8:21 of the 2nd period, affording Anaheim its 3rd power play.

Detroit killed the PP, in no small part due to Talbot’s wise play.

The game wound down with some heavy physical play and the Wings at least holding the fort well as Anaheim pressed for a 4-3 marker, but Beckett Sennecke fanned on an empty-net chance for the Ducks, too.

GOALIE PULL: Lukas Dostal headed out with 2:40 left in the 3rd period.

EMPTY-NET GOAL: Alex DeBrincat took a Dylan Larkin pass at center ice and riffled a goal into the empty cage at 17:59 of the 3rd.

Detroit 6, Anaheim 3: DeBrincat (6) from Larkin (11) at 17:59 3rd period.

PENALTIES: Ross Johnston and Simon Edvinsson were given 10-minute misconducts at 19:44 for Edvinsson being punched in the face by the Ducks’ goon.

That would wrap things up.

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!