Toronto falls to Detroit a second time losing 4-3

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It was another night that the Red Wings held off the opposition to win their final preseason game. Detroit held on to their one goal lead in the final minutes to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 at Joe Louis Arena Saturday night. Detroit finished with a three game winning streak and plenty of decisions needing to be made by the season’s start.

Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg returned to the lineup for the final game of the preseason after deal with a knee injury that kept him out of the world cup. With the veteran back in the lineup and the Red Wings prospects still fighting for a permanent spot, it would be a push to impress on the last chance. Evgeny Svechnikov showed his skills in Friday’s victory over Toronto scoring both Detroit’s goals to win.

The Russian wasn’t in the lineup on the night but saw his team succeed early on against Toronto. The first came just 106 seconds into the opening period where Tomas Vanek set up near the faceoff to take a shot against net minder Frederik Andersen. Things slowed down for the teams after that with barely five in the books on combined shots to the net.

Detroit gained a power play after six minutes where Zetterberg got right to work with the power play unit. The veteran skated the puck in before taking a shot on net that was intercepted in front of Andersen. It landed on the stick of teammate Dylan Larkin who swept the puck up before immediately landing a backhander into the net and a 2-0 lead for Detroit.

It was again clear that the Red Wings were taking control of the game, but the offense was still below par. They managed very little after Larkin’s power play goal ending 20 minutes with just six shots. Toronto managed seven against them but sitting down two goals didn’t help their efforts in the period.

They came out guns blazing in the second as they wanted to get on the board and be competitive. Toronto’s best went at Petr Mrazek in net for the Red Wings who dealt with their offensive rushes and put them to rest. A big moment for the Czech was stopping number one draft pick Auston Matthews who tried to put his best against the Detroit goalie but was stopped in his tracks.

As half the game went into the books, Toronto gained their best moment by playing their first man advantage of the game. Mrazek and the Red Wings PK handled the two minutes down a man followed by catching up with Toronto on shots to the net. They went on a fourth power play but couldn’t convert much from it with 3:45 left in the period.

The Maple Leafs caught a lucky break with Zach Hymen taking a shot that net that caught Detroit on the wrong side of things. The puck flew towards the skate of a Red Wings player redirecting into an open part of the net on Mrazek’s right ending his shutout. Before the period came to a close, Detroit responded with a big goal from Brendan Smith who got set up after a bad turnover by Toronto.

The Maple Leafs made something happen 39 seconds into the third where William Nylander scored redirecting a shot from Connor Carrick to get back within reach. Another opportunity arrived with the puck going in after contact between a Toronto player and Mrazek both ending in the net. Officials agreed that goaltender interference was in play and allowed the Maple Leafs to tie the game.

Things got worse for Detroit as a delay of game penalty gave Toronto another boost of energy to get a chance at the lead on a second power play. They were playing like a dangerous team pressuring Mrazek and the Detroit defense. They got out of trouble but with the game being tied, it only meant that Detroit was going to have to outduel their Original Six rivals.

Toronto kept the shots on net higher than Detroit with nine minutes left in the period concerning some fans in the stands. It took Detroit some time but they eventually ended the monotony of the even scoreboard. Anthony Mantha made things happen with his shot going behind Andersen getting Detroit ahead with five minutes left in regulation.

Dylan Larkin continued to have a bad night on ice. Instead of being a top offensive weapon, he handed Toronto a third power play that sent Toronto on a mission to level at four all. They failed on their third try put still had 2:30 on the clock to send things into overtime. Toronto coach Mike Babcock pulled Andersen with 1:43 remaining and Detroit on edge to hold off the surge. Mrazek made a big save and one that would count to give them the important victory.

The 24-year-old ended the night with 29 saves for a .906 save percentage. Andersen fared worse with a .826 save percentage that pushed him to accept another loss on the day. Both teams had much to process as they were faced with very little time to consolidate the best players on their roster and bring together a squad that would soon begin the 2016-17 NHL season.


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Red Wings drop Toronto 2-1

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Evgeny Svechnikov made a name for himself in a solid win Friday night. His two goals and the Red Wings defensive strength were enough to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 at FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton.

Detroit finishes up a final back to back series before they get ready for the upcoming season. It gives the lineup a chance to deal with the Maple Leafs who are coming off a horrid game losing to the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 Thursday. With the home advantage sitting in their favor, they would try to bring a better showing against their Original Six rivals. Each side had young players on the bench knowing that many of them would have their last chance to secure spots for the 82 game season.

Toronto gained a power play early on to start the first period but as Detroit killed off the penalty, Svechnikov scored coming out of the box for a 1-0 lead. The goal gave the Red Wings some energy with Eric Tangradi getting in on the boards with shots to Maple Leafs goalie Jonas Enroth.

As the period went surpassed the halfway point, the Red Wings were taking the game to the Toronto end hoping to get a bigger margin on their division rivals. Detroit added a big statement with Robbie Russo delivering a big hit on Peter Holland smashing the Toronto defenseman into the boards. Holland wanted a piece of the young defenseman sending the teams into a scuffle behind the Detroit net.

Things settled down for the remainder of the period with Toronto hunting for a good shot on net minder Jimmy Howard in net for Detroit. In the final minute, the Maple Leafs got the game tied with Brendan Leipsic scoring on a pass from behind the net from Ben Smith. It was enough to level things in the period ending twenty minutes of play.

Svechnikov notched his second of the night just four minutes into the following period where his stance in front of Enroth paid off. A pass from the boards by Russo allowed the Russian to get an easy high wrister on the Toronto net minder that gave Detroit back the lead. The offensive chances continued for the Red Wings who picked up their second power play chance giving Enroth plenty to deal with.

Despite going 0-2 on the man advantage, they kept Toronto from gaining long possessions with the puck. Toronto got very close to leveling back in the game with Kerby Rychel’s drive from the blue line that almost got the best of Howard. The puck took a hit off the goal post, bounced off Howard’s leg pad and nearly went across the goal line before he retrieved it.

Toronto had one final chance to pull off the same feat they did at the tail end of the first gaining a power play to close out the second. The Maple Leafs didn’t get clean scoring chances on the Detroit PK who played the last seconds slapping the puck away near their blue line. Things ended with Detroit gaining time to shoot on their opponents’ net as they remained out front.

The third was a real fight for control as Detroit maintained their hold on the lead. Toronto had some chances during the Red Wings vulnerable moments but stayed alive to deal with the issues at hand. Svechnikov remained a dangerous figure for the Red Wings as he searched out his hat trick goal but couldn’t get it done on a breakaway chance late in the period.

With his tenacity for success and the Red Wings still outshooting Toronto, the team used the last minutes of regulation frustrating the Maple Leafs. Coach Mike Babcock decided to pull Enroth out of the net giving his team 90 seconds with six men on the ice in order to send the game to overtime. Their efforts went unanswered as Detroit fought to break the Maple Leafs of possession and kill time off the clock for the final horn to sound.

With a good win in hand, the Red Wings proved their worth hanging on in a close game to return home for their last of the preseason against Toronto Saturday

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Red Wings freeze up Pittsburgh 5-2

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The Red Wings totally made up for their rough loss Tuesday capping a big victory at the PPG Paints Arena. Detroit held off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the late stages of the game winning 5-2 on Wednesday night. Jared Coreau scored a big victory stopping 30 of 32 in what was a complete game for the 24 year old

With three games left in the preseason, the Red Wings need to put up a strong showing against the Penguins who are one of their biggest rivals in recent memory. Detroit has been dealing with a full week that led to their 6-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. With the match against Pittsburgh playing as their second of three back to back, the Red Wings had to prove themselves to be strong opponent even away from home.

They held the Penguins to a pair of goals in their 4-2 win. With a new name and the home advantage weighing heavily for the Stanley Cup champions, they had the most to accomplish on ice.

Things were tight for both teams with Pittsburgh taking a stance on shots to the net. They gained a slight advantage but fell at the wrong moment. A shift change for the Red Wings turned into a good move to take control of the puck. It was there that Gustav Nyquist made a push for the Pittsburgh net with Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. The Red Wings took time to move the puck around before a shot that Ryan Sproul took ended near the pads of Fleury leaving the net wide open for Nyquist to score.

They made it 2-0 later in the period playing their first power play to their best. Tyler Bertuzzi earned credit for the goal shoving the puck on his move toward Fleury. Detroit outshot Pittsburgh 9-5 with an improvement on offense that boost them further against some of the best Penguins who had only taken a shot in the last several minutes. The period came to an end with Detroit on a mission to show their strength in all their lines for a 12-6 run.

The Red Wings consolidated their success in the first and took off with a rush of offense to begin the second. They quickly gained time and shots on the Pittsburgh net but Fleury did everything to stop them from scoring anything further. The Penguins worked to get something going and got lucky on a shot from Carter Rowney who fired the puck watching it redirect off the stick of Detroit’s Riley Sheahan.

The lucky break allowed them to gain leverage to their benefit leveling with Detroit with eight shots apiece. The score was tied eight minutes later with the Penguins finding the Red Wings vulnerable on the power play. Pittsburgh was shorthanded with Kris Letang scoring a great one behind Coreau that looked to level the playing field.

Detroit had other ideas and regained the lead just a minute later with a three man passing play in front of Fleury ending with Martin Frk scoring his second. Detroit returned to a two goal margin with Matta putting too much screen in front of the Penguins goalie that allowed Defenseman Brendan Smith’s shot to go in the net.

Detroit had everything going for them in the third and made sure to keep things tight for Pittsburgh while taking every chance to increase the gap. The Penguins showed plenty of want for the game to be closer on the scoreboard but failed to get anything done on two power play chances given up by Detroit.

Time ran out for Pittsburgh still sitting down two goals on the Red Wings. Pittsburgh went for the empty net but couldn’t get much done even when they had a 6 on 4 advantage. An easy steal for Detroit gave Steve Ott a chance to skate away with the puck and score an empty netter to win the game 5-2. Coreau picked up his first complete game win with a .938 save percentage. He and the Red Wings would celebrate the win before prepping for a final back to back series against the Toronto Maple Leafs beginning Friday.

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Blackhawks bash Red Wings 6-1

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The Blackhawks made their presence known on home ice at the United Center. Chicago dealt out six goals against the Detroit Red Wings to win 6-1 Sunday night. The victory concluded the early rivalry with Chicago picking up their second win at home. The Blackhawks goaltending unit stopped 17 of 18 with Corey Crawford playing flawless during his time on ice.

The Red Wings 6-3 win over Chicago on Monday saw their youthful contingency take care of a Blackhawks lineup that had none of its best playing. With the short series switching to the windy city, the Hawks no doubt bring their best to the ice and put up a much stronger competition for Detroit. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have had plenty of time to relax since Toews and goaltender Crawford went on to win the World Cup. With the recent confidence, playing against an Original Six rival would be another thriller on both sides.

A shot from Duncan Keith became loose near the crease of Detroit’s Jimmy Howard six minutes into the first period. It was there that Chicago native Ryan Hartman got hold of the loose puck and put one through the five hole of Howard to give Chicago the lead. Things began to calm with the Red Wings trying to keep the pace with their old rivals maintaining a close run on shots to the net.

They allowed the Blackhawks a power play that they immediately killed off sending the game to 4 on 4. Detroit then gained the remainder of the play with their power play unit looking to even up the score. Chicago used their PK unit to knock out their opportunity and create further problems for the Detroit defense. They made it 2-0 on Detroit with a drive from Andrew Desjardins who scored it five-hole on Howard all while unassisted. They finished the first period outshooting the Red Wings 12-6 with their two power play chances.

They picked up a third just two and a half minutes into the second period where they put pressure on Detroit PK to stop some of Chicago’s best that were on the ice during the man advantage. They were outdone with 28 seconds left with Chicago working well in a three-man play giving Richard Panik his first of the preseason.

The 3-0 score took its toll on the Red Wings who began to show a lack of shooting on the net of Crawford who didn’t allow much. After 11 minutes of play, the Blackhawks shot six while holding Detroit to just a pair. Crawford came off to give teammate and second string goalie Scott Darling a shot at time on the ice. He saw a shot from the Red Wings as they had a 3 on 2 rush that ended with Louis-Marc Aubrey scoring the shot that ended the shutout for Chicago.

In the final minutes of the period, Chicago struck with a great two-man play where Keith set up teammate Nick Schmaltz with a shot that caught Howard for a third time on the five hole. When the horn sounded, it was 10-9 for the Blackhawks who nearly gave up a goal to Detroit but instead held their three-goal margin.

Chicago continued their strong momentum that took them into the third period with a heavy lead that they couldn’t see themselves losing. They kept the pace high against Detroit that consistently beat them on scoring chances. After six minutes, they scored their fifth of the night on Alexandre Fortin’s goal that gave him two so far. It was the last they would get on Howard for a lengthy part until there was little time left for Detroit to cover such a large spread.

Chicago notched their third unanswered for a second time in the page with Gustav Forsling taking a fake shot before passing the puck to Artem Anisimov who scored with 1:27 left.

After the final horn sounded to hand Chicago the official victory, they recorded 32 shots on Howard while holding Detroit to 18. The two continue on with their course to the end of the preseason with the Red Wings unable to get a break as they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.


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Sharapova returns to tennis in 2017

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Maria Sharapova will be returning to the tennis game. The former five-time Grand Slam champion received word that her suspension for a positive drug test back at the Australian Open this season was reduced from two years to ending on April, 26 2017.

“In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back,” Sharapova said in a letter on her Facebook page. “ I am counting the days until I can return to the court.

Sharapova received a letter from the International Tennis Federation in February that the drug known as “Meldonium” was shown in her drug test and was grounds for suspension. The former number one stated in her announcement on March. 7 that she has been taking the drug for 10 years and had no idea of its addition to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances on Jan. 1.

While on an indefinite suspension, a three-person panel was put into place to determine the fate of Sharapova which before a ruling came down, she would miss out on the remainder of the Grand Slams as well as skip the 2016 Olympics in Rio. With appeals and delays on the decision, Sharapova remained positive and awaited whatever fate came down.

“I’ve learned from this, and I hope the ITF has as well. CAS concluded that “the panel has determined it does not agree with many of the conclusions of the ITF Tribunal.”,”she said. “Now that the process is over, I hope the ITF and other relevant tennis anti-doping authorities will study what these other federations did, so that no other tennis player will have to go through what I went through.”

"The TADP has a comprehensive and fair process in place and we support the final result," Women's Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon said. We are pleased that the process is now at completion and can look forward to seeing Maria back on court in 2017."

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