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Red Wings-Flames Tweetcap: Detroit ropes a knuckle-biter in Stampede City

The Detroit Red Wings faced a Calgary Flames team that had gone 7-2-and-1 over the course of their past 10 games on Wednesday night, with Calgary hoping to sweep a 4-game home stand. Detroit was looking build upon a 2-game winning streak as they entered a set of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 nights.

On Wednesday night in Calgary, the Red Wings won a WILD ONE in the Saddledome, roping Calgary up 4-0 over the first 40 minutes of play, only to surrender 3 goals in the 3rd period, and emerging with a 4-3 victory (in no small part thanks to a 34-stop performance by John Gibson).

Alex DeBrincat would open the scoring with a nice little give-and-take from Patrick Kane at 1:02, and at 4:33, Axel Sandin Pellikka ripped a one-timer from DeBrincat through Logan Cooley…

At 7:41, DeBrincat would score his second goal of the game from Andrew Copp, and at 9:09 of the 2nd, Larkin would score from Raymond on a glorious break-away-from-the-pack race…

But Joel Farabee was given a penalty shot as the Simon Edvinsson-less Wings (Edvinsson suffered a “lower-body injury” and left the game after 2 periods of play) surrendered a rush where ASP got caught hooking Farabee, and he beat Gibson over the glove one-on-one at 8:02…

At 9:07, Matt Coronato would make it 4-2, and at 14:40, MacKenzie Weegar blasted a shot through a sea of Red Wings and Flames to make it 4-3…

But Detroit held on and emerged with a victory that was waaaaaaay harder than it should have been to grab, especially with the Edmonton Oilers resting at home, waiting for tomorrow night’s affair.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Devin Cooley led their respective teams onto the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome:

Continue reading Red Wings-Flames Tweetcap: Detroit ropes a knuckle-biter in Stampede City

Red Wings-Canucks Tweetcap: Gibson’s shutout powers Wings to 4-0 win over Vancouver

The Detroit Red Wings emerged from an 0-3-and-1 slide via Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken, and Detroit headed into Western Canada to begin a stretch of 3 games in 4 nights against Vancouver (Monday), Calgary (Wednesday) and Edmonton (Thursday).

On Monday night, the Red Wings won what I can only describe as a weird one. Vancouver out-shot Detroit 36-20, and had a fair amount of Grade-A scoring chances, but John Gibson’s sight lines were clear, so he pitched his first shutout as a Red Wing…

And James van Riemsdyk (at 14:14 of the 1st) and Andrew Copp (at 15:15 of the 1st) pushed the Wings out to a 2-0 lead, which is pretty much all they needed en route to a 4-0 victory over Vancouver.

Nate Danielson would score his second goal on a gorgeous little give and go between Kasper and Sandin Pellikka (who also set up Copp’s goal), and Dylan Larkin would get his 16th via an empty-netter…

But the Wings really owed Gibson, because as great as the Wings played above the red line, they were shaky at times in front of their own goaltender against a struggling Canucks team, and thankfully, Gibson has begun to deliver.

All in all, the Red Wings are now 2-0-and-1 going into games 4, 5 and 6 of their 6-game road trip, about to embark on a set of 3 games to be played over the course of 4 nights, so they needed these points, and the “how” is a little less important than the “how many.”

2. Necessary. Thank you, John.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Kevin Lankinen led their respective teams out onto the ice at Rogers Place (and Cam Talbot was last in the warmup line)…

Continue reading Red Wings-Canucks Tweetcap: Gibson’s shutout powers Wings to 4-0 win over Vancouver

Quick health update

Hi, everybody. Here’s an update on the state of my health:

I’m still doing the “Tweetcaps” so that you have some sort of content and that I don’t feel completely useless, but my fatigue from whatever I’m suffering from has not gone away, and I tend to need a day to recover before I’m able to work on the next game.

I did see my doctor this past Monday–I had a physical this week–and I’ll be having a significant number of labs taken via a blood draw this upcoming Monday. I hope that we’ll find an answer as to what’s going on from the blood tests.

I’m incredibly, incredibly frustrated with my continued illness. I want to come back every morning, and I keep hoping when I go to bed that I’ll feel good enough to sit up and work the next day, but that has yet to happen, and it’s driving me nuts. I’m doing my best to get back, but my body isn’t responding, and it’s tremendously disappointing. I can take care of Aunt Annie, but that’s about it. My own self-care has really suffered over the past couple of months, and it sucks.

I still want to come back and work the blog as I have previously been able to work, but my body is not cooperating.

I love this job and I do not plan on giving it up, but my hiatus continues for the present moment. I just want to get back to work, and I’m doing everything I can to get healthy again.

Raymond + ASP + Danielson + a 1st round pick for Quinn Hughes? No, thank you.

As the hype and buzz regarding the Red Wings pursuing Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes percolates around the NHL, the Vancouver Province’s Ben Kuzma provides a reality check in terms of what the Canucks’ asking price might include:

He doesn’t have a no-trade clause, so the successful bidder needs assurance he’s not just a one-year lease before hitting free agency. That’s where ties will play a prominent role.

There are his formative years in Michigan with the U.S. National Team Development Program and the NCAA Wolverines. It’s also where he has a home. And at age 18, Hughes was the youngest player in the 2018 world hockey championship and looked like a veteran as the U.S. claimed bronze.

Long-serving Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was his world championship teammate and roommate. They’ve also trained together and formed a lasting and respectful bond. And Hughes has long admired Detroit winger Patrick Kane.

The Canucks could push for first-line right-winger Lucas Raymond, 23, second-pairing rookie defenceman Axel Sandin-Pellikka, 20, first year third-line centre Nate Danielson, 21, plus a 2026 first-round draft pick. Raymond, Sandin-Pellikka and Danielson are first-round picks.

Raymond had 80 points (27-53) last season, and would be a vital addition if Kiefer Sherwood, and possibly Conor Garland, are traded. Sandin-Pellikka projects as a power play quarterback, and Danielson needs to develop a complete game at the NHL level.

Continued; I’m fairly certain that Canucks GM Jim Rutherford WOULD ask for either one of Lucas Raymond or Moritz Seider, a top prospect like ASP or Danielson, and a 1st round pick as compensation for Hughes…

And that’s why this is not going to happen.

Red Wings-Bruins Tweetcap, rematch version: The squeaky win gives the Wings some ‘grease’

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to snap an 0-3-and-1 streak against the same Boston Bruins team that delivered a 3-2 shootout loss to the Wings on Saturday evening, all ahead of a 6-game road trip that will test the team’s resolve.

On Tuesday nigh at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings prevailed in a 5-4 decision over the Boston Bruins, nearly blowing 3-0 and 5-2 leads in the process…

But John Gibson, 2 bad 5-hole goals included, stopped 31 of 35 shots, Detroit was able to yank Jeremy Swayman, who gave up 5 on 23, and James van Riemsdyk, Moritz Seider, Alex DeBrincat, Ben Chiarot and Lucas Raymond all scored…

Seider had a goal and two assists, Kane had 2 assists, DeBrincat and Raymond both had a goal and an assist, Danielson of all people led the Wings with 5 shots, Bernard-Docker had 6 hits, and there was this, too:

PREGAME: John Gibson and Jeremy Swayman led their respective teams out onto the ice…

Continue reading Red Wings-Bruins Tweetcap, rematch version: The squeaky win gives the Wings some ‘grease’

Red Wings-Bruins Tweetcap: Shootout loss, momentum win

The Detroit Red Wings opened a 2-game home-and-home series against the Boston Bruins while battling through a 3-game losing streak. Boston wouldn’t have the services of David Pastrnak, but when you’re struggling like the Red Wings, the enemy within is often more difficult to battle than the enemies you face.

On Saturday night at TD Garden, the Red Wings lost a very literally hard-fought game to the Boston Bruins, dropping a 3-2 shootout decision.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 of 28 shots and 3 Red Wings shooters; Cam Talbot stopped 17 of 19 and afforded Casey Mittlestadt the shootout winner.

However, the Wings rallied from 2 1-goal deficits (both on goals from Morgan Geekie) in a low-event game, via goals from Lucas Raymond at 6:38 of the 3rd and Michael Rasmussen at 18:06, with Cam Talbot pulled for an extra attacker.

Dylan Larkin also had 2 assists, and Moritz Seider worked his ass off to rally after getting into a scrap which Mark Kastelic won handily.

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Jeremy Swayman led their respective teams out for warmups…

Continue reading Red Wings-Bruins Tweetcap: Shootout loss, momentum win

Red Wings-Lightning Tweetcap: The easy blame’s on Gibson. The real truth is that the Wings’ defensive game sucks right now.

The Detroit Red Wings headed into today’s match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning having lost 3 of their past 4 games, and having surrendered 18 goals over their past 4 endeavors.

Sitting just outside the NHL’s playoff picture, it isn’t necessarily time for the team to panic, but it’s definitely time for the Wings to recommit themselves to playing sound defensive hockey.

Tampa Bay came into today’s game boasting a 5-game winning streak, so the Wings faced a stiff challenge today.

On Friday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings laid another egg, bluntly, dropping a 6-3 decision to the depleted Lightning.

J.T. Compher would open the scoring 11:29 into the 1st, off a fine assist from Michael Rasmussen (who had his best game of the year), but Raddysh, Goncalves and Gourde would give Tampa a 3-1 lead by 3:01 of the 2nd period, and while the aforementioned Rasmussen would make it 3-2 at 3:13 of the 2nd…

Yanni Gourde was able to hack a rebound over a prone Gibson at 16:09, and after Dylan Larkin scored the 4-3 goal at 18:26, Tampa held Detroit off the scoreboard during a mid-3rd-period power play, and just after killing it, Jake Guentzel tipped the 5-3 marker at the top of the crease at 12:37 of the 3rd.

Detroit pulled Gibson with about 3:30 left in the 3rd, but Brandon Hagel simply scored an empty-netter at 17:13 to afford Tampa a larger margin of victory than perhaps was needed.

While Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 of 36 shots, I’m not blaming John Gibson for this one. Tampa had too many looks that were either involving traffic, rebounds or tips, and it’s unfair to blame the goalie alone when the defense in front of him was so very atrocious.

Detroit’s got to clamp down defensively if they are to head into Boston and snap that 3-game losing streak tomorrow night.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Andrei Vasilevskiy led their respective teams out onto the ice for warmups:

Continue reading Red Wings-Lightning Tweetcap: The easy blame’s on Gibson. The real truth is that the Wings’ defensive game sucks right now.

Red Wings-Predators Tweetcap: pre-Thanksgiving setback to Nashville due to mental mistakes

The Detroit Red Wings attempted to bounce back from Monday night’s loss to New Jersey as they hosted the struggling Nashville Predators on Thanksgiving eve.

In the jam-packed Atlantic Division, every win matters, and as they started a set of 3 games over the course of 4 days, the Wings needed to earn a “W.”

On Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings lost, and they lost a WEIRD GAME. Nashville may be last in the league in points, but they’re not last in the league in terms of talent, grit or execution, and all three aspects of their game played into the Red Wings’ 6-3 defeat.

While Michael Bunting would open the scoring at 15:48 of the 1st on the power play, the Wings would answer 5:30 into the 2nd when Alex DeBrincat scored his 12th on the power play, and James van Riemsdyk would add another at 16:34 to give Detroit a 2-1 lead…

And when Nick Blankenburg and Roman Josi scored at 2:05 and 2:20 of the 3rd, Ben Chiarot answered with a fine goal at 3:04…

But at 14:14 of the 3rd, the Wings’ defense got caught all clumped on the right side of Cam Talbot as Ryan O’Reilly hung out near the left goalpost, and he stuffed in a Luke Evangelista pass at 14:14 for a 4-3 lead…

And only 28 seconds later, at 14:42, Erik Haula caught the Wings’ defense stuffed below the goal line, standing at the top of the Wings’ crease, and he stuffed a Filip Forsberg pass past Cam Talbot to make it 5-3.

Steven Stamkos’ goal was an empty-netter, and it gave the Preds the 6-3 win.

Justus Annunen stopped 28 of 31 shots for Nashville; Cam Talbot stopped 21 of 26 for Detroit.

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Justus Annunen led their respective teams out onto the ice at LCA…

Continue reading Red Wings-Predators Tweetcap: pre-Thanksgiving setback to Nashville due to mental mistakes

Red Wings-Devils Tweetcap: defensive mistakes bedevil the Wings, but grit, scrappy demeanor nearly yields another comeback

The Detroit Red Wings aimed to keep the good times rolling as it faced a difficult match-up with the unbeaten-at-home New Jersey Devils on Monday evening, kicking off a week in which the Wings will play 4 games over the course of 6 days and nights.

New Jersey has built something of a powerhouse team, so the Wings would find themselves facing a significant challenge.

On Monday night in Newark, defensive mistakes doomed the Red Wings. Timo Meier opened the scoring 12:54 into the 1st, and while Alex DeBrincat tied the game at 16:33, off a set of passes from Kane and Seider, Nico Hischier (at 17:58) and Cody Glass (at 19:04) would respond to give the Devils a 3-1 lead exiting the 1st period…

And after James van Riemsdyk scored 1:30 into the 2nd on a power play, a terrible defensive mistake by Travis Hamonic yielded Connor Brown’s 4-1 goal at 8:38 of the 2nd.

The Wings rallied in a huge way in the 3rd, with Larkin scoring at 10:12 and the Wings unleashing 13 shots in the 3rd and 27 over the 2nd and 3rd periods–of 35 total shots on Markstrom–and after the whistle, the Wings were pissed off at the Devils and their shenanigans:

Too many defensive mistakes doomed Detroit, but their process was great, their effort was great, their toughness was fantastic, and the star players didn’t need anyone riding shotgun.

The Predators, who are losing 5-2 to Florida at 9:53 PM EST, are going to be in for a beating on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena.

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Jacob Markstrom led their respective teams out onto the ice at the Prudential Center…

Continue reading Red Wings-Devils Tweetcap: defensive mistakes bedevil the Wings, but grit, scrappy demeanor nearly yields another comeback

Red Wings-Blue Jackets Tweetcap: Detroit rallies from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Columbus 4-3 in overtime

Detroit headed into today’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have won 4 of their past 6 games, hoping to battle back into 1st place in the Atlantic Division.

Given the Red Wings’ inconsistencies and unreliability of performance, as illustrated in Thursday’s blowout loss to the New York Islanders, it’s hard to tell which Red Wings team will hit the ice at LCA.

So today’s game would present both a challenge and a bit of a puzzle…

On Saturday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, the Red Wings rallied from a 3-1 3rd period deficit to defeat Columbus 4-3 in overtime, and it was a remarkable comeback, led by Cam Talbot, who stopped 30 of 33 saves…

And a a set of unlikely scorers. Lucas Raymond scored the only Wings goal of the 2nd period, tying it at 1 at 36 seconds, but Columbus would tie the game only 18 seconds later as Miles Wood scored at 54 seconds of the 2nd…

Zach Werenski (at 8:38) would make it 3-1, and as Columbus had the territorial advantage and was suffocating the Wings’ offense, while preying on Detroit’s turnovers, it looked like a fait accompli that Columbus would win…

But at 10:23 of the 3rd period, Ben Chiarot of all people would score the 3-2 marker, from Kane and Seider;

Seider would tie the game at 13:25, from Finnie and Danielson…

And in overtime, Alex DeBrincat blazed up the right wing and stuffed a shot through Greaves at 1:50 to score the gamer–from Chiarot and Kane of all people.

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Jet Greaves led their respective teams out onto the ice:

Continue reading Red Wings-Blue Jackets Tweetcap: Detroit rallies from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Columbus 4-3 in overtime