POSTGAME: BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: less than five minutes into the game and the Wings are down 1-0. 

Note how badly Kronwall loses the battle with his man, that will be a theme for the first period. The Red Wings failed to register a shot until well into the game, they had trouble entering the zone and were sent scrambling all over the ice against a bad Devils team. 

Detroit’s 30th ranked power-play ‘went to work’ as they say and it sure seemed to work for the Devils. Nothing worse for this groups already shattered confidence than a shorty:

Kronwall just being used as a prop for Palmieri’s games. Shots 9-7 after one for the Devils. 

The second period started without any real gusto. New Jersey decided they’d go with the most ideal strategy against this Red Wings team. Just keep taking penalties, wacking guys and cross checking them to pieces. They’re absolutely no threat on the power-play as seen during the Red Wings 1:16 5v3 where they failed to register a single shot. Fans at the Joe didn’t hesitate to let the team know how brutal of a display that one was. 

The Wings did manage though to end a 168 minute goal-less drought on home ice courtesy of the Captain:

Mantha-Z-Nyquist has been one of the few consistent bright spots on this team. Mantha with some good looks in the period himself but after Z’s goal to get them within one they had the wind taken out of their sails again with a softie from Coreau for Palmieri’s second of the night. 

You have to think Detroit is trying to set the record for worst power-play of all time. It’s the only way one could even attempt to keep their sanity while watching this team with the man advantage. From here on in I’m just going to assume this is a covert tank. Halfway through the third a Detroit power-play leads to another short-handed goal this team at the hands of Adam Henrique. Guess who the defenceman was. 

Same power-play Detroit manages to actually net a goal, which puts them at an even 0 on that transaction:

But maybe there’s a little fight left in this team. Nick Jensen manages his first career NHL goal to pull the team to within one but then with a 6v4 attack with a minute left:

4-3 Devil’s win, needless to say. 

Honestly, who knows at this point?