Detroit Red Wings grab 2 points with 2 goals a minute apart in 4-3 OT win
The Detroit Red Wings gave a demonstration of why they still have hope for the playoffs with four weeks to play in the season.
Stirred from the emotionless performance that marred their start Tuesday, the Wings turned boos to cheers at Little Caesars Arena when they made a game of their outing against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. They took it to the wire to force overtime, and Patrick Kane put it away, 4-3, with his third point of the night.
Kirill Marchenko pulled Columbus ahead when he converted a pass from Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe). The Michigan alumnus picked up his third point of the game on the play when Marchenko's shot went glove-side on James Reimer. Lucas Raymond, however, scored the tying goal with 12.6 seconds on the clock, finishing a pass from Kane.
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The Wings had lost eight of their previous nine outings, erasing the leeway they had three weeks ago, when they had ascended to the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Now they're battling a handful of teams for a shot at the second wild card spot. If they replicated the second period they had against Columbus — albeit an opponent headed for the draft lottery — the Wings would be in better standings, as none of their closest competitors have been able to secure a foothold in the wild-card race.
With 13 games to go, the Wings next play Thursday at home against the New York Islanders, who are one of the teams neck-and-neck with Detroit.
Berggren sits, Edvinsson plays, Reimer starts
Simon Edvinsson joined the lineup for his second stint of the season (he played two games in December), paired with veteran Jeff Petry. The Wings are looking for any kind of spark, and opted to call up the offensively minded defenseman over playing Justin Holl, who has spent most of the season as a scratch. Jonatan Berggren, called up after the March 8 trade deadline, sat for a third straight game. If he plays one more game, he'll be at 80 career NHL games and lose his waiver exemption, yet the Wings have not sent him back to Grand Rapids, where at least he could be playing and helping the Griffins with their playoff chase. Reimer started in net for the second time in three games, the first time he's done so since December, as he has bumped Alex Lyon atop the goaltending depth chart.
Another sorry start
Bad starts have been a regular story through March and Tuesday followed the trend. The Blue Jackets controlled the puck early, forcing a couple of quick saves from Reimer. Edvinsson drew a penalty at 3:21, seemingly offering a chance for the Wings to generate some momentum, but the only shot Daniil Tarasov had to turn away the entire stretch was a tip-in attempt by Joe Veleno. Less than a minute after that power play ended, the Wings gave up the first goal for a seventh consecutive game. Midway through the period, shots favored Columbus, 11-1. Alexandre Texier scored seconds after Detroit's second power play, bringing boos from the stands that were heard again when the first period ended with the Wings outscored, 2-0, and outshot, 20-5.
Signs of life
The way the Wings played in the second period begs the question of why they don't play like that more consistently. They had emotion, energy, hustle — all the things that lead to winning hockey. They had a power play in which they dictated tempo and were rewarded with Raymond scoring from in front of the net, at 2:57. Less than two minutes later, Moritz Seider fired a shot that ricocheted through trafffic and was kicked by a Columbus player into his own net, and just like that, the Wings had made a game of it. They continued to play with pace, generating chances and doing a better job limiting the quality of the shots Reimer saw.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings grab 2 points with 2 late goals in 4-3 OT win
