Ostapenko edges Kovinic in straight sets at Gippsland Trophy

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Jelena Ostapenko battled back problems that were on the verge of overflowing but came through at the Gippsland Trophy Monday. The Latvian held firm in the late stages of each set against Danka Kovnic winning 6-4, 7-5 on court five at Melbourne Park. 

The Latvian pushed herself to get the win against Sara Errani Sunday using aggression and anger to force the match to three sets and dictate well. Despite having eight double faults, Ostapenko kept them low in third during her dominant statement to the Italian. This marked their fourth meeting with the 13th seed beating her at Indian Wells for her second over the Montenegrin. With such ferocity from her end, bringing it once more against Kovnic would put her in a strong position to progress further. 

Ostapenko opened the match with that very position, breaking Kovinic apart on deuce. She went on two add a serve to love to consolidate before the Montenegrin got on the board with a serve to love of her own. The Latvian made a move that spelled real trouble for the 26-year-old. The 13th seed rallied in the fourth with her second shutout, taking the next pair of games. With a 5-1 stance, Ostapenko tried to go for the break to take the set but Kovinic had other plans. 

She held in the seventh before taking the Latvian on a struggling ride of holding serve in the next game. Kovinic boiled the frustration in her opponent, who knew that letting her focus get out of control was not the order of the set. Ostapenko regrouped, biding her time through the loss of ground until the tenth brought her to victory. She clipped the first down in 35 minutes with a second set point attempt that gave her the 6-4 score. 

When the second started, Kovinic opened with a serve to love and followed things up with a break of Ostapenko. Just when it looked as if some momentum was building in the Montenegrin, she committed her fourth double fault that led to a break back for the Latvian. The 13th seed evened the score at two-all before finding a break that took three breaks of deuce to get it done. 

Ostapenko consolidated the break with a hold in the sixth, closing in on the match with her momentum. She continued to battle Kovinic who was under trouble in the seventh, fighting to keep the hold of serve. A winner on the first break made it 4-3, back within touch of the Latvian. The eighth was a heavy fight for Ostapenko as she dug in to make sure she’d win at all costs. The two got to deuce where it took four break and 14 total points to make her the winner. 

Kovinic served to stay alive in the match, getting help from the 13th seed who put too much on the returns. The Montenegrin let a point get away but held the ninth, hoping that she could extend the set further. Ostapenko assisted in that feat, recording her seventh and eighth double faults that gave Kovinic the break. The 13th seed broke back at a critical point, putting the ball in her hands to serve out the match. 

In the 12th, Ostapenko scored her seventh ace before a wide return from Kovinic brought up match point for the 23-year-old. She put it away with a winner nailing the line to end her second round in 1 hour and 31 minutes. With her serve at 81 percent and scoring on nearly two-thirds, the 13th seed got herself into a great place with her problems on serve not becoming overwhelming. She’d try to keep up the positivity against third-seeded Elina Svitolina in the round of 16.

Svitolina notches strong straight sets win at Gippsland Trophy

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Elina Svitolina found her way to a comfortable finish in her start of the Gippsland Trophy Monday. The third seed played her best tennis of 2021 against Andrea Petkovic, who ran into trouble in her game falling 6-1, 6-4 on court 1573 Arena at Melbourne Park. It was the first win against the German since the Rio Olympics and one that she’ll no doubt build upon. 

In their fifth meeting, it would be another clash between the two stars, with Petkovic always testing the Ukrainian. In their only meeting last season, the German controlled well early before being pressed in the second set where a tiebreak was in her hands. Svitolina had a decent run in Abu Dhabi, but her game was challenged in every match, with her trailing the opposition. While she had more time on the court in matches than Petkovic, the world number five had to be at her best or see another tournament get out of hand. 

She served first to open the set, but found herself tight at first. Petkovic worked herself into threatening for the break but the Ukrainian rallied back forcing deuce. From there they went six breaks, with the German missing key moments to take the game. Svitolina locked it down in ten minutes while her 33-year-old opponent took just three to level the set with a win. The third seed coasted to perfect service in the third before watching her opponent slip up. A double fault set up Svitolina for a shutout, which came on one last error from Petkovic in the fourth. 

The 26-year-old continued to play knockout tennis as she accumulated the last 9 of 10 points, widening the gap on Petkovic. The German committed her third double fault on serve in the sixth, leading her to another shutout and Svitolina serving for the set. Giving up just one point in the seventh, the third seed closed out 29 minutes in spectacular fashion, blasting the forehand for an easy victory. She had 11 winners and five unforced errors that rocked the 33-year-old who cooked too many shots and committed double faults. 

In an attempt to make up for her early mistakes, Petkovic came out blazing into the second set with a strong service hold. The Ukrainian ticked off another service game, scoring her fourth ace of the match. Petkovic answered with a serve to love, showing control with her forehand that at times beat Svitolina to the chase. The third seed later earned her moment forcing Petkovic to trail and fight through every game. 

She managed to break back in the sixth, evening the score with Svitolina. The breaks of service continued between the two, with Petkovic matching the third seed for the fourth time. As they closed into the tail end of the set, Petkovic suffered a double fault that ruined her chance at holding service. The Ukrainian opened the door to counteract taking a 5-4 lead. Despite falling behind on serve, an ace assisted her in reaching the match point. Svitolina capped her day with a fifth ace to win in one hour and nine minutes.

Panthers stay ahead of Red Wings to win 3-2

Patric Hornqvist #70 of the Florida Panthers scores a second period goal on Thomas Greiss #29 of the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)

Detroit couldn’t catch a break at home as they were once again foiled out of a win at Little Caesars Arena Sunday. The Florida Panthers played hard through sixty minutes edging the Red Wings 3-2. 

The Red Wings started late in their push Saturday against the Panthers, but couldn’t add another goal after tying them through the rest of the game. Anthony Mantha made his mark that woke up the offense, despite only coming up with a point. In their second meeting, the Red Wings vied for consistency before going back on the road. Taro Hirose played well earning himself two points in the previous game, hoping to notch a few more that could make a difference in their final result. 

Detroit gained a quick power-play where a stop by Chris Driedger got loose and nearly across the line. He somehow got on top of the puck with his body to stop play, getting out of danger. Detroit’s special teams got a few more at the Florida net but came up short. They already had three shots on goal, giving the indication that something was close to occurring. A good play between Givani Smith and captain Dylan Larkin ended with the leader snap shooting one short for his fourth of the season. 

During the play, Florida suffered another penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving another power play to Detroit. It came and went but did increase shots on goal with them up 10-12 midway through the period. At 11:41, they handed Florida a chance to level on the man advantage. The Panthers had a couple of scoring chances with second tries but the Red Wings were on top of them to kill off the two minutes. 

Florida increased the shots on goal during a second power play but failed to convert a goal to tie the game. The period came to a close with Detroit outshooting Florida 13-6 with both delivering five hits to one another. 

The Panthers were on the verge of tying the game going into the second period with Detroit giving them a third opportunity on the power play. Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen smashed MacKenzie Weegar into the boards and was roughed by Aaron Ekblad in response. The two went to the penalty box with the Panthers gaining an advantage. At 2:03, Patric Hornqvist got the power-play goal earning his fifth of the season making it a game for his teammates. 

Florida’s fourth power-play gave them the lead at 15:04, this time with Hornqvist screening Detroit goaltender Thomas Greiss. A one-timer for Ekblad went to the side of Griess who didn’t see it coming, handing the defenseman his second. The Panthers overtook the Red Wings on shots on the net as they found the speed and toughness to dictate well through 40 minutes shooting 18 to Detroit’s nine. 

The Red Wings tried to pick up the pace and keep with the Panthers who were not letting up on offensive power. For eight minutes, the teams took scoring chances but couldn’t put one behind the net. Florida bided their time and on a delayed penalty to Detroit, Aleksander Barkov set up a drive. He fired a shot toward Griess that went off the back of the stick of teammate Carter Verhaeghe to make 3-1 and hand the centerman his fifth. 

Time was just another foe of Detroit’s as they faced a big margin with little left on the clock. With three minutes to go, they went for the empty net, but six attackers didn’t help them close the gap. Florida continued to block the lanes for the Red Wings to produce scoring chances at the net. Mantha somehow found a way to outduel Driedger as play in front of him took his attention away from the scorer to his left. Mantha picked up his third with 1:48 left on the clock. Florida got back on track and handled the six attackers as they were hungry to even up before the horn. 

The Panthers killed off a minute, leaving Detroit with 47 seconds to make it happen. The Panthers blocked shots helped them out immensely while pushing the puck out of their zone. Detroit had the faceoff with four seconds left in the Florida zone, but a blocked shot by Driedger clinched the victory that finished the Panthers strong in Detroit.

Stars outshine Red Wings

Denis Gurianov #34, Andrew Cogliano #11 and the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center on January 28, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Dallas Stars made the Red Wings pay dearly for their mistakes at American Airlines Arena Thursday night. A battle through most of the game turned into a slaughter as the Stars ran away with a 7-3 win. 

Detroit vied for success at the tail end of their road trip facing Dallas for one more. Their loss Tuesday in overtime remained sour aside from gaining a point. Their 2-4-1 record was not yet showing strength as a few of Detroit’s best stayed quiet on the offense. Anthony Mantha was the most hungry on the ice, taking shots since the season began without a goal. Dallas hadn’t lost a game in three matches and hold the best record on the powerplay in the NHL. With a new goaltender making his debut for the Stars, Detroit had to find goals coming from their best in the lineup to make the statement. 

Dallas responded quickly from the opening faceoff, taking their shots on Jonathan Bernier who stood in net for Detroit. For the first half of the period, they gave it all in the Detroit zone with the Red Wings struggling to get at Stars netminder Jake Oettinger. They were stopped with a penalty going against them, adding fuel to the fire for Dallas. They went heavily in the Detroit end but the PK did enough to clear out the puck, kill time, and the two-minute advantage. 

When even-strength came back into action, the Stars used more physical strength to fight for control of the puck. At 11:36, Tanner Kero made a block near the boards and skated away with the ice, heading towards Bernier. He suddenly made a quick pass to Joe Pavelski, who one-timed the puck behind the Red Wings goalie to strike his fourth of the season. It was a big mistake for Detroit but they caught a break with a power play in their favor. 

Detroit negated the precious time with a penalty from their end in return but gained another chance to make up for lost chances. Nothing came of it as the Dallas PK worked through the time down a man and brought things back to five on five play. Detroit was awarded another power play with 14 seconds left and finished the first-period silent. They were outshot 11-5 and had only one scoring chance to Dallas’s five which produced the opening lead. 

 Nothing came of the remaining time Detroit had on the power play but were given another chance to make something happen. It was their second full power play against the Stars but despite trying to get a shot to go through, none got in the back of the net. The Stars forecheck and added pressure gave the team another leg up on the score. A loose puck that got away from Bernier to his left allowed Andrew Cogliano to earn credit for his first goal. 

 Dallas had half the game under their control with Detroit having fired two shots through the midway point of the second. Mantha found a point to make something happen for himself but came up short on a drive. Detroit still held onto possession until a drive from the blue line by Troy Stetcher. His shot was blocked with Mantha getting another try. When his opportunity got blocked, it came to Valtteri Filppula who had an open window, scoring his first of the season while getting Detroit into the game. 

At 14:45 Dallas scored on a loose puck in the neutral zone with Denis Gurlanov getting to it. He skated in another to take a shot that traveled across the line and into the net before Mantha and Bernier crashed into one another dislodging the net. Officials went back to see if the puck already cross before the dislodge occurred. It was determined, the goal was indeed good giving Gurlanov his third. 

The Red Wings spent the remainder of the period chasing down Dallas who wanted to make sure they came out of their arena the true winners. When the horn sounded ending 40 minutes, the Stars outshot Detroit 8-7 and doubled the scoring chances from the first period. 

As the third period got underway, Thomas Griess came in due to an injury suffered to Bernier. It didn’t take anything away from Dallas who continued to play on point and bring pressure to him and the Red Wings. They made it 4-1 with Jamie Oleksiak earning his first on a centering drive that went five-hole on Griess. 

A little over a minute later, Detroit cut the margin in half with Filip Hronek taking a shot into traffic. His shot never made the net but as the puck got into the air, Tyler Bertuzzi batted it in with his stick that notched his fourth. With the power play working out at that time, the Red Wings earned another chance to make it a game to win. Detroit had a lot of good chances but none of them made it behind Oettinger. 

Detroit was back in it as they made another push to get closer to the stars and with good movement of the puck, the team could smell it. Danny DeKeyser made Detroit’s third of the night with a long shot from the blue line. It went off the elbow of Dallas’s Justin Dowling. It was DeKeyser’s first since March 29, 2019, and one he was happy to contribute. With six minutes left, and the Red Wings hunting the Stars down, they suffered a penalty that gave them a chance to get one back. 

They did so with the Red Wings out of place and an open net for Ty Dellandrea recording his first NHL goal. The game was put away as Detroit went for the empty net but watched Dowling return Dallas to their three-goal lead. The Red Wings were deflated by the turn of events and with two minutes left, the onslaught wasn’t over. John Klingberg made it 7-3 to get his second while adding insult to injury to their opponents. When it was over, Dallas outshot Detroit 29-22 but their three goals in the final minutes put the Red Wings out of their misery.

Red Wings lose out in overtime to Stars 2-1

Joe Pavelski #16, Denis Gurianov #34 and the Dallas Stars celebrate a goal against the Detroit Red Wings at the American Airlines Center on January 26, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

A lack of movement and pressure on the ice resulted in another Detroit Red Wings loss at the American Airlines Arena Tuesday. A turnover in overtime gave the Dallas Stars a 2-1 win. It gave them their third win in a row and Detroit their third straight defeat. 

A new week can only be good after an ugly finish Detroit had against the Chicago Blackhawks. After a four-game slide on their end, they outscored the Red Wings 10-3 and were 1-12 on the power play indicating a serious issue. They made their way to the Lone Star state to face Dallas, who got a late start to their season. With the Stars only two games in, the Red Wings needed to be the dictators while there and get the man advantage going. 

Though it took the Stars some time to get their first recorded shot on goal, they had leverage early on Detroit. By the time eight minutes had passed, the Stars earned some time on the power play, with Bobby Ryan being called for too many men. Just when it looked like Dallas would gain the opening lead, the Red Wings PK did work to stop them in the offensive zone. After just one minute back on even strength, a move from Givani Smith got the puck moving around the back of the Stars net. 

Taro Hirose got it out front where Dallas miscued on leaving goaltender Anton Khudobin open. With no one there for defensive cover, Vladislav Namestnikov came in to backhand one through the five hole, scoring is first of the season. It was their first shot on goal that led to more as the period had six minutes left. Dallas hunted down their moment to tie the game before the first ended, but good man-to-man coverage and defense around Thomas Griess kept them scoreless. 

A big collision into the Detroit net handed the Red Wings a second power play. Two offsides called took a lot of time from the man advantage that Detroit didn’t make use of. When the first was said and done, each team shot six times with Detroit being best on the faceoff. 

In the second, Detroit spent the rest of their time with the extra man before they returned to even strength. The next few minutes saw the Red Wings and Stars fighting for possession until a slashing penalty to Filip Hronek gave Dallas a power play. Off the faceoff in the Detroit zone, Dallas got the puck to the back near the blue line where John Klingberg drove it straight through traffic scoring his first to even things up. 

The Stars got another power-play but Detroit knew they couldn’t give up another one. Despite saving another, they couldn’t get the offense in place to make a difference. It once again led Dallas to another man advantage. The Red Wings PK stopped a third and a minute later caught a break. Detroit’s second chance to increase the score didn’t work as their offense struggled to maintain possession and prevent giveaways. Dallas took every opportunity to get the puck and fire on Griess who felt the pressure. By the time the second period was over, they outshot Detroit 11-6 while producing a low number of scoring chances. 

The third period saw both teams struggle to make a jump with their offense and strike out the leading goal. Through ten minutes of play, Detroit and Dallas recorded a total of five shots on goal with no clear winner in sight. Detroit caught three more shots that had them ahead, right before they tried to make three a charm on the power play. The Red Wings took a few shots with one having a second try at the net but Khudobin and the Dallas PK cleared the puck out, getting back to even strength with two minutes left. 

The Stars didn’t get their shot at ending things in regulation with the Red Wings determined to go into overtime to settle the affair. Detroit opened 3 on 3 showing plenty of patience as they tried to get their best line into action. After two switches, Dallas got their chance and pressured quickly. Once again, they had the last laugh with Klingberg setting up the drive that went off Jason Dickinson to end their night 92 seconds into it.

Blackhawks ravage Red Wings 6-2 on Suter hat trick

Pius Suter #24 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at the United Center on January 24, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Pius Suter had quite a day on the ice that beat down the Detroit Red Wings Sunday at the United Center. The 24-year-old centerman recorded his first career goal and hat trick that assisted the Blackhawks to a 6-2 rout. 

Detroit’s missing links and lack of special teams caused them to flop against Chicago Friday night in a 4-1 loss. With COVID-19 protocols breaking apart the luck they had back home, coach Jess Blashill hoped to have a better output from the lineup he could put together. Standing in their way was Lankinen who made 31 saves and allowed just one goal from the Red Wings. With his skills taking care of business, it would be a challenge for Detroit to break him just right and open the flow of scoring chances in their matinee matchup. 

Detroit got a power play 90 seconds into the game, but despite shots from captain Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, nothing got behind the Chicago netminder. At 4:42 when play returned to even strength, a drive from Patrick Kane bounced off the pads of Jonathan Bernier giving up a scoring chance. It was there that Suter scored his first NHL goal. He earned his second on the man advantage that occurred five minutes later. The Red Wings couldn’t clear the puck while under pressure, leading Suter to notch Chicago’s sixth game streak scoring on the power play. 

Chicago remained in dictation of the period where they doubled the shots on goal than what Detroit put together. The Blackhawks got another power play later on in the period, but the Detroit line at the time did work to prevent the game from getting out of hand. They earned a second man advantage in the final seconds but took half of it into the second stanza, hoping to make a difference. Chicago outshot Detroit 13-5 despite winning one of every three faceoffs taken. 

Detroit had their chances to score increase as Chicago suffered another penalty 12 seconds after the opening faceoff. With a 5 on 3 advantage, Detroit set up a scoring chance with Filip Hronek setting up Larkin with a snapshot that went off Tyler Bertuzzi for his second. It was Detroit’s sixth shot that soon had them adding more against Lankinen. 

Bernier faced some tough shots against the Blackhawks but made the necessary stops to keep his team within reach. Detroit created momentum, showing determination with getting the game even. Chicago gave them very little time to pressure the team’s defense or Lankinen, overturning play back to their offense. With less than three minutes to go, a shot from Connor Murphy through traffic found its way behind Bernier recording his second for a 3-1 lead. Their statement lasted for the remainder of the period to sour Detroit through 40 minutes. 

 Things only got worse as the third got underway, with Mattias Janmark scoring 58 seconds after the faceoff at center ice. It was his second of the season and one that set their offense on fire. They dictated well through the period until a penalty to Duncan Keith gave Detroit a chance to convert on the power play. Bertuzzi took credit for it with a rebound shot with Larkin setting up the opportunities. 

Under a minute later, Suter made his mark with a third, clinching the hat trick on a loose puck. Suter skated it in, snapping a shot past the glove of Bernier that made it 5-2. Chicago had the game locked up, but there was still time on the clock to make Detroit’s day a bad one. With 4:05 left on the clock, Philipp Kurashev got in on the fun scoring an unassisted drive into the net for his second. The Blackhawks continued to pursue the puck and pressure the Detroit zone until the horn sounded to end their misery. They outshot the Red Wings 37-25 having found their niche at home with a second victory. Lankinen made 25 saves in what was a performance from his to be commended.

Blackhawks overcome thier problems to win 4-1 at home

Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at the United Center on January 22, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Detroit let the air from their sails fall silent at the United Center Friday night. With atrocious special teams, the Red Wings blew chances on the man advantage while they watched Chicago redeem their poor start on the season. Patrick Kane had two points on the night in the team’s 4-1 win ending a four-game losing streak. 

Chicago would have to continue working through the motions as COVID-19 protocol hit their lineup. Detroit caught the same problems with Filip Zadina going on the list. In their first game on the road this season, they’ll try to increase to a two-game winning streak against a slumping Original Six team. The Blackhawks had yet to record a win, having been on the road for the first four games. With the chance to begin anew at home, they’ll try to turn it around and dictate the home ice. 

Detroit got a terrific start from the faceoff with Tyler Bertuzzi striking a shot at Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen. It helped produce further scoring chances but after the first six minutes, they couldn’t get one in. Neither did Chicago who trailed with five shots, challenging Thomas Griess. Later on, at 13;15, the Blackhawks earned a power play on Valtteri Filppula turning a player around and getting called for holding. 

It was a mistake that Detroit regretted as Chicago scored on the man advantage in their last four games. Kane made it five as his stick got a piece of the puck for his third of the season. The Red Wings earned a power play shortly afterward but watched it killed with Chicago’s PK blocking the shooting lines in their zone. They spent the remainder of the period going after the Red Wings defense that had them outshooting 12-10. 

Detroit opened the second period with another power-play but watched the Blackhawks battled them from possessing and second chances near the crease of Lankinen. Full strength returned with Chicago regrouping the offense to increasing their pressure. Unfortunately, Kane got called for unsportsmanlike conduct after he tried to fake a stick injury. Detroit nearly saw a short hander happen but the defense and Griess closed the door. 

It all went south as Detroit caught a penalty, bringing things to 4 on 4. While they avoided letting the Blackhawks score on a short power play, they didn’t stop a drive from Calvin De Haan. The Chicago defenseman fired from the far end, scoring his first, giving the Blackhawks a commanding 2-0 lead. Bertuzzi tried to get the Red Wings on the board but found himself cut off by Lankinen who was running a shutout more than halfway through the game. 

Three was not a charm for Detroit as a chance with the man advantage went empty with special teams not converting. The remaining four minutes saw the Red Wings adding more shots on net but unable to end their scoreless result through two periods. Detroit outshot Chicago 12-5 while doing very well on the faceoff, but needed a bigger statement than their fight for the puck. 

Chicago took point in the third period, firing away at Griess with four shots and Detroit notching one. The Blackhawks got more time to add further shots in the Detroit zone with their fourth power play. With the ice open, Kane set up teammate Andrew Shaw with a one-timer into the right of Griess to make it 3-0. It was the team’s second power-play goal of the night, showing how strong the special teams' action was. 

Desperate to make a response, the Red Wings tried to be something together. A goal from Dylan Larkin at 12:22 ended the shutout for Lankinen but kept them far from leveling the game. Chicago made it clear that they were going to win at home, responding with a goal while shorthanded. Mattia Janmark scored Chicago’s fourth goal of the night while notching his first with the team. It marked the end of an early slide for the Blackhawks and when the horn sounded ending regulation, it was the sound of defeat for Detroit.