Thoughts and Highlights

• Good pace to start the first few minutes of the game but it’s the Isles who take the early lead 5:45 minutes in. After working the puck around the net and to Pulock at the point, he rips the puck through traffic and it deflects into the net from Eberle.
• The home team continues to buzz and dominate the period despite failing to cash in on two power plays, out-shooting Detroit 13-1. The Wings had a man advantage of their own but didn’t convert and had trouble generating anything for most of the frame.
• Despite being outplayed, the Wings had more life to them in the second. A slight distribution of chances in the game kept Detroit involved but they were unable to figure out the Isles tight system. Barzal found Eberle who was coming up the wing and finishes with a snapshot over Bernier to go up 2-0, his second of the game.

• Most of the action happens in the last few minutes of the third. After an early whistle before the puck crossed the goal line, Bertuzzi almost scored the first goal for the Wings. Moments later, in a weird example of fate, Mantha shows patience and fires it off of Bertuzzi and it squeaks behind Varlamov to cut the lead in half.

• Larkin heads to the box after, allowing New York to kill time and Eberle notches his third goal for the hat trick tonight. Komarov gets the empty netter and 4-1 is the final, with the hopes of a comeback meanly teased.
• Final shots: 22-40 Islanders
• With their 44th loss of the season, the Wings (as we expected from the beginning) were officially eliminated from the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
• Detroit has one last game before the trade deadline on Monday so this potentially could be the last game for Green, Athanasiou, Daley, or Helm as a Wing. With possible trades and Hronek on IR, waiver claim Cody Goloubef didn’t play tonight but could slide into the roster Sunday.

Gif of the Game

Motor City MVP