The Detroit Red Wings found another hard fought win, this time against the Seattle Kraken. Detroit has won the past three meetings, however two of them went to overtime. Seattle is always a tough opponent, even so the Red Wings dug deep in this one.
Heading into the game, Seattle posted a stingy 2.67 goals against average. Goals were going to be hard to find, however Detroit was able to get it done. The game was hard fought in every zone, consequently it was tough to sustain pressure. Even so, the Red Wings played a solid 60 minutes in front of the fans in Detroit.
Rookies broke out, Danielson gets his first
Nate Danielson scored his first NHL goal, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka assisted on it. Danielson saw a deflected shot skip off his leg and into the net. He looked to have added a beautiful tally later, however it was waived off after review. Still, Danielson had two points and a strong performance all over.
Emmitt Finnie scored the game winner, a power play tally assisted by Danielson. Finnie has struggled to score, even so he continues to work hard to create opportunities. Danielson assisted on the goal, a power play tally that was really well executed. The three rookies looked strong, and the energy was certainly contagious.
The Red Wings through 20
This was Detroit’s 20th game, accumulating as 12-7-1 record along the way. That stands as the most wins through 20 games under GM Steve Yzerman. Consequently, Detroit sits at the top of the Atlantic Division (for now).
The Red Wings greatest improvement is the penalty kill, which is up from league worst to 12th best. That shift could be an important part of the team’s success this season. After the loss in Buffalo, Detroit has seen a more intense defensive commitment from throughout the lineup.
Dylan Larkin’s 600th point
Captain Dylan Larkin scored an empty net goal, thereby obtaining his 600th career point. Furthermore, Larkin has 24 points (12g, 12a) in 20 games this season. Larkin has been a leader, both on and off of the ice for this team. Larkin is just the 11th player in Detroit history to hit 600 points. The captain is also just the 8th Michigan native in NHL history to reach that benchmark.
Best thing about this game besides seeing all the rookies contribute is only giving up 2 goals. There is no margin for error in the Atlantic division to make the playoffs. Playing good team defense consistently is what will get them in the playoffs. Also… need to KEEP GETTING TRAFFIC in front of the other team’s goalie… and find a successful way to do it every night. They play NY Isles on Thursday.. so put some bodies in front of Sorokin so he can’t see. The other thing is this team has to find a way to score first and score in the first period ! So tired of them watching them play catch-up from behind. Really hope Danielson can be an impact player. Wings are still thin up the middle… need him to really become a dominant center we hoped for when he was drafted.
Great to see you Vlady! I really want to see them score and hold on, seems like the equalizer, when they do score first, comes in 2 minutes or less. Seeing good things for sure!
No Wing was sensational in the loss to the Isles last night! 🤮😣