Red Wings hold off Leafs, pick up Original Six win
By Stefan Kubus –
DETROIT – The Red Wings were able to hold off a late Maple Leafs surge to capture a crucial two points Tuesday night at Joe Louis Arena and help keep their playoff hopes alive.
But it came with the price of losing another body to injury.
Gustav Nyquist scored his team-leading 18th and 19th goals, Daniel Alfredsson scored his first since Feb. 8 and Jimmy Howard turned away 31 shots to lead Detroit to a 3-2 victory over Atlantic Division rival Toronto.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said. “Obviously, we started on time and played pretty well.”
After the game, Babcock said that defenseman Jonathan Ericsson, who left the game late in the second period and did not return, has a broken finger, resulting in yet another Red Wings injury.
“We get someone hurt every day, and they never come back,” Babcock said with a wry smile. “So I guess he’s out for a bit, I don’t really know. The hand specialist is looking at him.”
Landon Ferraro, son of longtime NHLer Ray, made his NHL debut and played 7:47, recorded a shot and two hits. With his dad in the crowd, too, it was an extra special night for the 22-year-old, who tallied 28 points in 60 games with Grand Rapids this season.
“At the end, all the guys put their sticks up, I just took an extra second looking around,” Ferraro said. “There’s a lot of Maple Leaf fans out tonight, but at the same time, Detroit fans were real loud and real excited at the end, so that’s probably what I’m going to remember most.”
At 12:50 of the opening frame, Nyquist gathered speed in the neutral zone, broke into the Toronto zone, split the defense and slid one in on the backhand past Reimer for his 18th of the year.
After a scoreless second period, Nyquist struck again.
Much like his first goal, he utilized his dangerous speed. First, Nyquist poked a puck past a Leafs defender at his own blue line, then streaked down the right wing and snapped a quick shot off the far post and in for the 2-0 lead at 2:06 of the final frame.
On the power play near the halfway mark of the period, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly threw a long stretch pass from his own end off the end boards in the Detroit zone to a busting Jake Gardiner. Gardiner easily beat out the icing, took the perfect bounce and scored to pull Toronto to within one with 11:36 remaining in the third period.
It looked like Nazem Kadri had a game-tying goal shortly after on another Maple Leafs power play, but after video review, it was determined Kadri kicked the puck in.
Alfredsson then potted an insurance marker on a 2-on-1 from David Legwand at 17:27 for his first goal since Feb. 8. Kronwall drew an assist for the 227th of his career, tying Marcel Dionne for 21st in all-time Detroit history.
Down a pair, Toronto pulled Reimer with 2:24 to play, and James van Riemsdyk was able to tip home a Dion Phaneuf point shot to pull within one, but that was it for the Maple Leafs.
“It was nice to get up a couple goals for once,” Nyquist said. “Lately, we’ve been chasing from behind or playing even in the third, so it gave the team a little breathing room.”
Detroit faces off next against Pittsburgh on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.