Red Wings depend upon Lyon; Griffins remain dominant
The last time the Red Wings won a west coast trip was sixteen years ago, as Bob Duff of DHN noted in a recent piece. Nevertheless, they can accomplish that tonight if they triumph over the Ducks, who are presently ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the NHL, in Anaheim. The Ducks’ 20-day victory over the Red Wings in Detroit does not entitle you to write this game off.
There’s no better way to jumpstart the Detroit Red Wings season than a California sweep. Not many people in NHL history have said those particular phrases.
The last time the Red Wings won a west coast trip was sixteen years ago, as Bob Duff of DHN noted in a recent piece. Nevertheless, they can accomplish that tonight if they triumph over the Ducks, who are presently ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the NHL, in Anaheim. The Ducks’ 20-day victory over the Red Wings in Detroit does not entitle you to write this game off.
During the Red Wings’ 3-8-1 skid, it occurred. While they have appeared more focused recently, they have occasionally shown careless even on this fruitful tour.Alex Lyon has solidified the goaltending for the squad, which is a win for Detroit. His fifth straight start for Detroit will come from him. Since he assumed the starting role, Detroit is 3-1.
With the half of the season almost upon us, Detroit has a lot riding on this game. Despite its current winning streak, the team is still four points outside of the playoffs. Owning the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference belongs to the Philadelphia Flyers. Reaching the Flyers requires the Red Wings (19-16-4) to overcome five other teams.
Griffin Maintains His Trend
After defeating the Iowa Wild 4-1, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, extended their winning run to five games, the longest of the season. With a goal and an assist, Jonatan Berggren recorded.Michael Hutchinson stopped 29 shots. In his last eight games, Carter Mazur has six goals.
In Case You Didn’t Notice
After his actions during the Sweden-USA gold medal game at the World Junior Championship, Detroit Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson is receiving criticism. For the specifics, see Bob Duff.
Another tale from Duff relates to the idea that the Red Wings’ success on the West Coast is a sign of good luck.
Trey Augustine, a prospect for Detroit, has had a strong first half of the year. After assisting the Americans in defeating the Swedish team coached by Axel Sandin Pellikka, he won a gold medal at the Junior World Championship.
In the second half of Detroit’s season, Shayne Gostisbehere is one of the Red Wings who needs to contribute more.
The Red Wings’ Next Matchup
The Anaheim Ducks are the team the Red Wings play tonight (8 p.m., Bally) to finish their three-game California tour. Daniel Sprong is someone to watch. Five points in his last five games has him thrilled. The first two games of this road trip saw him post ten shots in total. After losing six of their previous seven games, the Ducks have now dropped four straight. In forcing overtime with the Maple Leafs, they did manage to gain a point. Home record for Anaheim is 7-9-1. In a game, the Ducks allow 32.6 shots.
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Buffalo: In the Sabres’ 3-1 victory over the Penguins, Jason Moser notes that Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was the team’s best player. Chicago: In addition to making a minor trade and claiming a forward off waivers, the Chicago Blackhawks placed Connor Bedard (broken jaw) and Nick Foligno (broken finger) on injured reserve.
Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers was referred to as a “rat” by Hockey Night in Canada pundit Kevin Bieksa, a former NHL player, due to his series of sensational hits. On Cousins, Bieksa “scorched earth,” as FHN’s George Richards notes. The specifics are with Richards.
Montrรฉal: According to Marc Dumont, goalie Samuel Montembeault’s outstanding play allowed the New York Rangers to lose ground. The Montreal Canadiens.Pittsburgh: After the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game-ending goal against the Buffalo Sabres was disallowed, head coach Mike Sullivan voiced his disapproval of the official call.