Red Wings beat Blackhawks in a shootout Wednesday night

 

By Stefan Kubus –

DETROIT – The last time the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks in a shootout, Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler and Valterri Filppula all scored in regulation of that game for Detroit.

For the first time since Dec. 6, 2008, the Red Wings defeated Original Six rival Chicago in a shootout Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena by the same score of the last one, 5-4. Patrick Eaves, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Kyle Quincey all lit the lamp for Detroit in a high-scoring, energetic tilt, while Jonas Gustavsson made 31 stops in his first game back from a neck injury and rebounded nicely in the shootout to help seal the win.

“It’s not like we come off it that hard on Monday, it’s just the teams we’re playing now are so good,” Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. “With the lineup we have, if we’re not all in, all dialed in, there’s no chance to win. I thought our guys were real determined.”

“Zetterberg’s group did a great job against Toews, that’s our hard matchup with Sharp and Hossa. Getting Big E (Jonathan Ericsson) back made a huge difference to us, matchup-wise, and I thought Glendening’s group did a real good job on Shaw, Kane and Saad. That allowed us to have success, the guys played hard.”

Since that Dec. 6, 2008 meeting, the Red Wings and Blackhawks had met four times in shootouts, but Chicago swept them all. With this win, Detroit has won two of its last three in this five-game home stand, both of which have come in shootouts.

“Usually when you come back, it doesn’t really matter how hard you try to skate; it’s always different to play a game,” Gustavsson said of his first game back. “It was a long game and it feels good to be tired now with the two points.”

The aforementioned Hossa opened the scoring for the Blackhawks as a result of a nifty passing play from captain Jonathan Toews. Andrew Shaw added one not too long after, depositing a rebound into the empty cage behind a sprawling Gustavsson.

But Detroit clawed its way back into the game on goals from Tatar – again celebrated by honoring his father with the skyward point – and Eaves. On Eaves’ goal, Muskegon native Justin Abdelkader kicked the puck to Eaves while sliding on his knees before No. 17 roofed a quick wrister over goaltender Corey Crawford’s glove to tie the game at two apiece after 40 minutes.

“I got my stick slashed out of my hands and I knew Patty was down there, I needed to get it to him and obviously I can’t hand-pass the puck,” Abdelkader said of the play. “I guess it was kind of like a slide tackle move, like a kick, got it to him and anytime Patty gets alone in front there, he’s going to score on more chances than not.”

Patrick Sharp’s power-play goal at 5:03 of the second stanza put Chicago up 3-2, but Detroit again fought back to not only tie the game on Quincey’s third of the year, but take its first lead of the game thanks to a gorgeous, tic-tac-toe passing play from the line of Nyquist, Abdelkader and Henrik Zetterberg, Nyquist finished that play off with a tap-in for his seventh goal of the season, while Zetterberg and Abdelkader added their second assists of the game.

It was the case the entire game, but the line of Tatar, Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco brought tremendous pressure and energy, especially late in the second period, which ultimately caused Brandon Saad to take simultaneous hooking and slashing minors, giving Detroit a lengthy, four-minute power play. While nothing came of it, Detroit had some good looks and wore down Chicago’s penalty killers.

“These guys are playing hard for us,” Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. “I thought Sheahan, Tats and Jurco were a real strong line for us tonight.”

Marcus Kruger tied it back up at four aside at 5:12 of the third period to force the game into overtime. Despite a back-and-forth, rushing style of hockey in the five-minute overtime session, nothing came of it.

In the shootout, Gustavsson allowed the first two goals on great moves by Toews and Sharp. But The Monster rebounded nicely to stop the remaining four shooters, former Detroit HoneyBaked standout and shootout specialist Patrick Kane included. And goals from Eaves – once again, high over Crawford’s glove – Bertuzzi and Helm sealed the 5-4 victory for Detroit over the defending Stanley Cup champs.

“I was a little surprised myself, but fortunately it worked out,” Eaves said of being chosen for the shootout. “I had an idea I wanted to get a good, hard, quick shot off high. But he’s a big man; there’s not a lot of space and, fortunately, he dropped his glove a little bit.”

Crawford gained notoriety in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last year for giving up many goals high on the glove side, but Eaves said that had no play in his decision-making; he simply wanted to get a quick, high shot off.

Abdelkader and Babcock both credited Gustavsson for battling his way back during the shootout.

“Gus let the first two in in the shootout and then shut the door and that, to me – sometimes as a goalie when you let them in early, it’s hard to bounce back,” Babcock said. “I thought he did a good job.”

Detroit is back in action Friday against another Original Six rival, the Montreal Canadiens, as part of the longest home stand of the season. That home stand concludes Sunday against the Florida Panthers.