Red Wings-Blue Jackets preseason Tweetcap: Columbus’ Greaves out-foxes sloppy Red Wings in a 4-2 defeat

The Detroit Red Wings battled the Columbus Blue Jackets in both teams’ preseason finale at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday evening, with Detroit looking to hold a dress rehearsal for the regular season against an NHL-caliber Blue Jackets roster. Detroit boasted a 2-0-and-1 record going into the game, while Columbus was 2-and-1.

On Saturday night at LCA, the Red Wings lost a frustrating 4-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets, going down 3-0 before rallying to make it 3-2 in the 3rd, only to surrender an empty-netter while 6-on-5.

Jet Greaves was tremendous, stopping 32 of 34 shots, with the Wings firing a staggering 84 of 86 attempts on goal, but Columbus blocked 26 shot attempts, won 58% of their faceoffs, and were opportunistic in pouncing upon the Wings’ mistakes.

Charlie Coyle opened the scoring on the power play, by taking a faceoff won to Zach Werenski, to the side boards, where Kirill Marchenko tapped the puck across the slot to Coyle, who beat Anton Johansson to the net at 14:40 of the 1st;

Valeri Nichushkin tapped home a Coyle pass at 18:44 to make it 2-0;

3:55 into the 3rd period, Jack Williams beat Gibson up high to make it 3-0…

And while Ben Chiarot blasted a shot through traffic at 6:39 of the 3rd, and Michael Rasmusssen tapped a Kasper pass into the net at 14:19 of the 3rd…

Detroit could not convert on their 4 power plays, Greaves out-played Gibson, and Columbus salted it away with a Cole Sillinger empty-netter at 19:49 of the 3rd.

The Red Wings also emerged unscathed from an injury scare when Carson Soucy took double minor for cross-checking Alex DeBrincat into the end boards from behind at 4:22 of the 3rd; DeBrincat would head to the medical room for a couple of seconds, but return to the bench by the time that Lucas Raymond sat in the box for sticking up for DeBrincat.

Detroit finishes its preseason at 2-1-and-1.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Jet Greaves led their respective teams out onto the ice:

Also of note from the pregame show: Detroit SportsNet’s Logan Reever spoke with Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper about both the Red Wings’ top prospects (Carter Bear and JP Hulrbert) as well as Kienan Draper’s goal-scoring performance in today’s Griffins exhibition win over Cleveland:

The teams dressed the following lineups and rosters:

1ST PERIOD:

The 1st 10 minutes of the first period were very much so up-and-down, with Columbus’ Kent Johnson breaking in alone on Gibson, who made a sharp stop…

And the even-strength period had a few highlights for Detroit, which pushed its way out to a shot lead…

With Valeri Nichushkin and another Blue Jacket threatening on a 2-on-1, Anton Johansson looked to be in trouble, but he held Columbus off…

PENALTY DETROIT: At 14:26 of the 1st period, Justin Faulk flipped the puck over the right defensive boards, drawing a delay of game penalty.

GOAL, COLUMBUS 1 DETROIT 0, POWER PLAY: Columbus won the offensive zone faceoff, Werenski passed the puck down to Kirill Marchenko at the faceoff circle, Marchenko tapped the puck across the slot to Charlie Coyle, and Coyle beat Anton Johansson to the crease and tapped it into the net with his skate.

Coyle (1) from Marchenko (1) and Werenski (1), PPG.

PENALTY COLUMBUS: Sean Monahan hacked a Wing at 14:54 of the 1st.

The 1st unit didn’t drive to the net, and the 2nd unit’s Nate Danielson and Justin Faulk were denied by Greaves, mostly after the PP expired, but still, they made good choices and got good offensive chances as a result.

GOAL, COLUMBUS 2 DETROIT 0: Moritz Seider had a rare giveaway and at 18:44, Valeri Nichuskhin took Charlie Coyle’s steal and ripped a shot through John Gibson to make it 2-0 Columbus.

Nichushkin (2) from Coyle (2) at 18:44 1st period.

PENALTY: Keegan Kolesar drew an interference penalty on Columbus’ Jake Christiansen at 18:44 1st.

2ND PERIOD:

The Red Wings did not score on their power play, but they threatened fairly well. Justin Faulk had a back-door chance, but Sean Monahan stopped him from stuffing it home at the end of the PP.

GOAL, COLUMBUS 3, DETROIT 0: Columbus recoiled at center ice and Ryan Lomberg ripped the puck across to Jack Williams, who snuck behind Keegan Kolesar and riffled a shot top shelf at 3:55 of the 2nd period.

Williams (1) from Lomberg (1) and Mateychuk (1) at 3:55 2nd period.

PENALTY COLUMBUS: Erik Gudbranson got tagged for cross-checking Carter Mazur at 8:09 of the 2nd period.

PENALTY DETROIT: Nate Danielson tugged Ivan Provorov and got called for holding at 10:06 of the 2nd period, giving Columbus a 1:56 PP.

3RD PERIOD:

PENALTIES, PP DETROIT: Carson Soucy gave Alex DeBrincat a nasty hack, pushing DeBrincat into the end boards. Soucy got 2 for roughing and 2 for cross-checking; Lucas Raymond came into the scrum and got 2 for roughing.

DeBrincat went to the “ready room” for a look before returning to the bench, and he could not start the PP, so the Wings started their 2nd PP unit.

1:10 later, DeBrincat was back on the ice, but Detroit could not finish on the PP.

GOAL DETROIT, 3-1: Marco Kasper won a faceoff to Ben Chiarot, and the puck was deflected past Jet Greaves to give Detroit a 3-1 deficit to battle against at 6:39 of the 3rd.

Chiarot (1) from Kasper (1) at 6:39 3rd period.

Carter Mazur couldn’t convert point-blank in a game he’s described as “do or die”…

GOAL DETROIT, 3-2: Ben Chiarot took a Blue Jackets entry and reversed it up the gut to Marco Kasper, who drove the net through neutral ice and into the slot, he jabbed a puck on Greaves and Rasmussen jammed the rebound home to make it 3-2 Columbus.

The goal read Rasmussen (1) from Kasper (2) and Chiarot (3) at 14:19 3rd period.

GOALIE PULL, DETROIT: John Gibson exited with 1:59 left in the 3rd.

TIMEOUT DETROIT: Detroit called timeout at 18:43.

GOAL, COLUMBUS 4 DETROIT 2 ENG: After a fast and furious set of attempts by the Red Wings to push back 6 on 5, Columbus’ Sean Monahan moved a blocked shot by Zach Werenski to Valeri Nichushkin, he was blocked by Alex DeBrincat, but passed the puck to Owen Sillinger, who scored the empty-netter at 19:49.

ENG: Sillinger (1) from Nichushkin (1) and Monahan (1) at 19:49 3rd.

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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