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Red Wings stumble, but hang on for 4-3 win over Canadiens

MiHockey Staff
(Photo by Andrew Knapik/MiHockey)

By @StefanKubus –

DETROIT – It wasn’t pretty, nor was it ever safe.

But despite seeing a 4-0 third-period lead blown, the Red Wings held on for a 4-3 victory – and a crucial two points – over the Montreal Canadiens Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena. Anthony Mantha scored his first career goal, which proved to be the game-winning tally. Riley Sheahan recorded a pair of goals, Luke Glendening potted his seventh of the year and Petr Mrazek turned away 26 of 29 shots to pick up his 27th win of the season.

“You want to go out and you just want to salt the game away, and just go shift after shift and not give them any life, and unfortunately they score right away and that gives them life, and then they get another one and next thing you know there’s lots of life,” Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said. “We’ve got to be better than that in the third. I didn’t love our first, I really liked our second and I certainly didn’t like our third. We’ve got better hockey in us, we’ve got to play better here come Saturday.”

Entering Thursday’s contest, Mantha had a number of quality chances in the handful of games he had played, so it seemed like it was a matter of time before he would find the back of the net. Additionally, he was the recipient of a couple high sticks to the face in Thursday’s game. He did so in front of family, friends and his grandparents; Mantha’s grandfather is former Montreal and Detroit great Andre Pronovost.

“It’s a great feeling,” Mantha said. “I kind of had a feeling that the hockey gods were gonna reward me after getting high-sticked twice in the first and second period, so I just had to battle my way through and I did and just a great goal.”

The Red Wings improved to 37-26-11 (85 points) on the season to maintain pace with the Philadelphia Flyers for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card position.

Amidst a chaotic scramble in the Detroit crease early in the period, Tomas Plekanec thought he had scored the game’s first goal for Montreal. However, he was called for cross-checking just prior to putting the puck in the net.

The play was reviewed, but according to the league, “the referee informed the Situation Room that play was stopped when Plekanec touched the puck because there was a delayed penalty against Montreal. According to Rule 15.1, ‘when the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee will blow his whistle to stop play and impose the penalty to the offending player.’ This is not a reviewable play therefore the referee’s call on the ice stands – minor penalty to Plekanec and no goal Montreal.”

Therefore it stood scoreless until there was 1:14 remaining in the frame, when Sheahan potted his tenth of the season. Brendan Smith put a shot on goal from the right circle, which Sheahan – screening Scrivens in front – stopped with the side of his skate. He then corralled the puck and shoveled a backhand shot home over Scrivens’ pad.

At 5:36 of the second stanza, Glendening drove to the net and banged home his seventh of the season.

Just 12 seconds later, Sheahan added his second of the game. Datsyuk lifted a Montreal stick in the neutral zone to clear the way for Sheahan who then had a breakaway. Sheahan went backhand-forehand and roofed the puck past Scrivens to give Detroit a 3-0 lead.

“I just think good plays by my teammates, just tried to get to the net front there on the first one and then it was a great play by Pav and Mantha there, so just some puck luck and maybe just a little extra desire to get to the front of the net,” Sheahan said.

With 2:33 to play in the second period and the Wings on the power play, Brad Richards fired a shot on goal from the top of the left circle. Screening Scrivens in front, Mantha turned around and banged home the rebound for his first career NHL goal.   

Entering the third period with a 4-0 lead, the Wings proved that no lead is ever safe.

Just 47 seconds into the third period, Plekanec got the Habs on the board.

At 4:16 of the period, Paul Byron added another and suddenly it was a two-goal game.

And 3:34 after the Byron goal, Canadiens captain and University of Michigan alum Max Pacioretty pulled his squad to within one. The Wings challenged the goal on goaltender interference, but it was determined to be a good goal. Blashill said he was going to call a timeout anyway, so he figured he might as well challenge it and see if the officials find something.

With a power play late in the closing minute and Scrivens pulled for the extra attacker, the Red Wings staved off the barrage and held on for the win.

“I think we did a good job in the first and second, kind of scared ourselves there in the third, but we did a good job fighting through it and battling through some adversity,” Sheahan said. “Every game is important for us now with how close the standings are, so it’s a huge win.”

The Wings continue their three-game homestand Saturday afternoon when they welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“The thing about all this is, you’ve better learn from it and get better, there’s no question,” Blashill said. “I can think back to lots of experiences I’ve had with coaching teams where bad things happen and later in the year, when you’re facing similar situations, you’ve learned form it and gotten better, and that’s the number one thing. So let’s learn from it, we’ve got better hockey in us, let’s play better on Saturday for a complete 60 minutes.”