Postgame: Goose’s surge not enough as Wings fall to Leafs
7 years ago
Detroit travelled just a short distance tonight to Toronto and fell 3-2 to the Leafs.
The game was rather intersectional in the fact it featured a team pushing for the playoffs with a team pushing for not-last. Or, depending on your viewpoint, pushing for exactly last and a better set of lottery ball combinations in next month’s draft lottery.
Either way, there was something to be happy about on both sides of the ice.
The Rundown
If there’s one thing the Wings do well, it’s giving up the first goal very early into the game.
Tonight, it was former Wing Alexey Marchenko who would pop in the game’s opening effort.
And then… James van Riemsdyk scored about 5 minutes later.
And then… Nazem Kadri scored about a full period after that.
Down 3 on the road late into the second for a team that struggles at scoring goals?
Meh! Sounds like a great time for Gustav Nyquist to break out of his slump!
3-1 heading into the third.
The Leafs apparently didn’t get the memo that the third period started, because Nyquist found a way to beat Andersen for the second time in 62 seconds.
The Wings did give themselves an opportunity late in the game with an o-zone faceoff.
The description of the events, shamelessly copied from the TLN postgame: (which is fine, I wrote it)
The game’s final ending sequence was an interesting one.Henrik Zetterberg’s face was cut was about 5 seconds left via an errant Connor Brown high stick. No call.It likely wouldn’t have mattered, but was a fair enough qualm to hold with the refs. Zetterberg argued briefly before returning to the bench to get cleaned up, and talked his way into staying onto the ice in an offensive zone faceoff. With the Wings down 3-2, this was obviously their final chance.The ironic thing though came moments later, when Zetterberg earned a faceoff violation and delay of game penalty, effectively ending the game.The horn goes, and the home team wins.
Well,
The Stats
Ugly moments, but a strong late push saw the Wings win the Corsi battle in this one. Wasn’t quite enough though.
Motor City MVP
Goose. Two goals. Next question?
Next game
The Wings play tomorrow night against Boston.
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