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WINGS POSTGAME: Athanasiou, Bernier lead Detroit to first win in five

Photo credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

By Cameron Kuom

Mar 16, 2019, 15:40 EDTUpdated: Mar 16, 2019, 15:41 EDT

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Looking for their first win in over a week, the Red Wings met the New York Islanders for a Saturday matinée. The Wings got a huge boost to their lineup with Dylan Larkin returning from injury after a five game absence. Also of note, recently signed undrafted free-agent Ryan Kuffner from Princeton made his NHL debut.

Detroit won the game 2-1, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Jonathan Bernier, who made 41 saves this afternoon.

The Highlights

Detroit got on the board first off a fluke goal for Andreas Athanasiou. Attempting a cross ice pass, the puck went in off Ryan Pulock’s leg and in the net.

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Some puck luck to start us off at Little Caesars Arena! #LGRW @DTE_Energy | #NYIvsDET

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5:22 PM · Mar 16, 2019

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Double-A wasn’t done there. He scored his second goal of the game off a sweet slap pass from Danny DeKeyser. The jump hug celebration with Tyler Bertuzzi will certainly bring a smile to your face.

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What a pass by Dan DeKeyser. #LGRW

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6:26 PM · Mar 16, 2019

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Late in the third period, Islanders captain checked Dylan Larkin into the boards. Larkin would go off but returned to end the game.
With a one goal lead in the dying seconds, the Islanders were a matter of inches of tying the game. Devon Toews found a loose puck with Bernier at the top of the crease and had an open net but slipped it off the post. That miss would secure Detroit their first win in five games.

Final Thoughts

The Red Wings had their moments of good hockey with speed that made life difficult for New York. But the overall game was not one of their better performances. The Islanders out shot Detroit by over twenty shots, but a strong performance by Bernier with 41 saves gave them the chance to win.