Home seemed to be a good thing for the Detroit Red Wings. Their return to the Joe Louis Arena produced a tight game between them and the Pittsburgh Penguins. They got out of a 3-3 tie going into the third to score three answered and return to the win column for a 6-3 victory for the first time in three games. Jared Coreau picked up his first official NHL victory against the Penguins that saw many of Detroit’s best get on the scoreboard in some time.
The Red Wings lost another game that ends their six-game road trip but the increase in offense left them with something good to start a homestand at the Joe. They began it with the Pittsburgh Penguins who have become an even bigger rival that before. Jared Coreau got another chance to get the best of the Penguins losing to them 5-3 on Dec. 3. He might have a chance as Pittsburgh carried a two-game losing straight in back to back matches against Ottawa and Washington. With some potential to impress the fans in their first game on home ice in 2017, the Red Wings had to answer well.
Things didn’t start well for them as Kris Letang scored 27 seconds into the game. He aimed a line drive from the far end getting the top left corner of the net for his fourth of the season.
By the end of the period, the Penguins outhit and made blocked shots on the Red Wings all while being outshot 12-10
Evgeni Malkin made it 2-0 just three minutes into the second period with Carl Hagelin getting a turnover at centering quickly passing it to the Russian. Malkin got his 18th putting the Red Wings in a big hole fast. It took some time for the Red Wings to get something happening with their increase of shots being the first response. The second occurred with Gustav Nyquist coming in on a three-man play with Xavier Ouelett making the pass to the Swede who fired a one-timer through Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for his sixth.
Tomas Vanek got into the fun four minutes later with Fleury trying to clear the puck behind the net leaving it open. Justin Abdelkader was there to block it before trying a wraparound attempt. He was blocked off the opportunity but the key came with Vanek’s rebound scoring chance to get his 11th to tie the game.
Matt Cullen got the lead back for the Penguins with 2:04 left the period on the power play recording his eighth. A rebound shot from Phil Kessel allowed the center man to fire one at point blank range. In the final minute of play, Detroit got leveled one more with Frans Nielsen getting on the board for his ninth on Mike Green’s shot that he perfectly redirected near the net. Though the Red Wings were outshot 14-11 their push of offense clearly had them in good spirits to put it all out in the third.
Andreas Athanasiou put Detroit up 4-3 just 1:46 into the third in a brilliant rush with the puck where he shot top shelf notching his ninth of the season. Pittsburgh nearly had the game even one again with a shot that beat Coreau on the net but the Red Wings had reasons to argue the play. Malkin pushed Abdelkader into the Detroit netminder during the play which coach Jeff Blashill challenged. After an official review, referees decided to overturn the call and keep the Red Wings out front.
Things settled down for a couple of minutes till the Red Wings picked up a massive opportunity to increase the score. Two Penguins penalties allowed them a 5 on 3 midway through the period that saw them pushing all they had to get it done. Just when it looked like they would waste the entire two minutes, Mike Green came into center taking a shot through traffic that got the back of the net for his eighth.
The Red Wings were on fire in the period laying down a third unanswered on the count of Detroit’s opening line. Anthony Mantha took a shot that Fleury blocked but watched Nyquist get on the puck. He delivered the puck back to Zetterberg who scored his ninth with a net front shot that made it 6-3.
The margin of victory was huge for Detroit and important in order to secure their first win of the year. They played the best defense that they could to continue being out front. Pittsburgh did everything they could by bringing up a surge of shots on Coreau which he continued working well against on. They were unable to break him and the Red Wings who took the game with a massive victory over a heavily favored team.
With the offense, the power plays and the feeling of being home working well for Detroit, they’ll hope to keep things going as they’ll take Sunday off before getting ready for an early Monday matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.
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