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The Detroit Red Wings put on an entertaining performance in their home finale, billed as fan appreciation night at Little Caesars Arena.
They scored, they hustled, they celebrated a future Hockey Hall of Famer and showed they heeded their coach when he urged them to play for their reputations even as the playoffs are no longer a possibility. Their opponent Monday, the Dallas Stars, are a much better team, but they're already locked into a playoff spot, and the Wings were able to pull out a 6-4 victory.
Albert Johansson and Alex DeBrincat got things started in the first period, but the 2-1 lead was leveled when Evgenii Dadonov tipped Roope Hintiz's shot past Cam Talbot midway through the second period. The Stars showed why they're a Stanley Cup favorite when they minced a Wings power play, taking control off the draw and scoring shorthanded thanks to Colin Blackwell to take the lead at 11:25 of the second period.
Berggren made it 3-3 early in the third period when he connected on a pass from Lucas Raymond and fired the puck into Dallas' net despite being off-balance. Raymond also set up Moritz Seider's go-ahead goal on a power play at 4:19. Raymond added a goal at the period's midpoint, but Wyatt Johnston pulled the Stars within one with seven minutes to go. Vladimir Tarasenko collected an empty-net goal with 1:56 to play.
More: Red Wings' Alex DeBrincat: Extra small, but plays supersized game
Patrick Kane was recognized during the first timeout for skating in his 1,300th career game, earning cheers from fans and stick-taps from teammates and opponents. Clearly a fan of round numbers, Kane went on to pick up the 850th assist of his career when he tapped a pass to Alex DeBrincat that made it 2-1 in the first period. Earlier this season, the Buffalo native became the second United States-born player to reach 1,300 points, behind Detroit-area native Mike Modano (1,374).
Johansson showed off his skill set five minutes into the game when he picked up the puck at Dallas' blue line, strode to the high slot and whipped a shot around Evgenii Dadonov and glove-side on Jake Oettinger. That was Johansson's third goal of the season. Jamie Benn leveled that lead less than three minutes later when he carried the puck to Detroit's net, veered right, then pulled up and tucked the puck into the crease. The goal was credited to Lian Bichsel after review showed it went in off him.
Berggren started the game on the top line, which Todd McLellan described as a chance to "capture the moment." Berggren wasn't a favorite of former coach Derek Lalonde, but seemed to get off to a good start when he scored on breakaways in consecutive games soon after McLellan's arrival. But then Berggren's play dropped off again, and he was a healthy scratch at times, until injuries forced him back into the lineup. "Ultimately at the end of the day, he and only he is responsible for his results," McLellan said. "We can help him, but he’s got to get it out of himself. You have to capture the moment when you’re there."
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings score: Red Wings top Stars 6-4 in season home finale
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They scored, they hustled, they celebrated a future Hockey Hall of Famer and showed they heeded their coach when he urged them to play for their reputations even as the playoffs are no longer a possibility. Their opponent Monday, the Dallas Stars, are a much better team, but they're already locked into a playoff spot, and the Wings were able to pull out a 6-4 victory.
Albert Johansson and Alex DeBrincat got things started in the first period, but the 2-1 lead was leveled when Evgenii Dadonov tipped Roope Hintiz's shot past Cam Talbot midway through the second period. The Stars showed why they're a Stanley Cup favorite when they minced a Wings power play, taking control off the draw and scoring shorthanded thanks to Colin Blackwell to take the lead at 11:25 of the second period.
Berggren made it 3-3 early in the third period when he connected on a pass from Lucas Raymond and fired the puck into Dallas' net despite being off-balance. Raymond also set up Moritz Seider's go-ahead goal on a power play at 4:19. Raymond added a goal at the period's midpoint, but Wyatt Johnston pulled the Stars within one with seven minutes to go. Vladimir Tarasenko collected an empty-net goal with 1:56 to play.
More: Red Wings' Alex DeBrincat: Extra small, but plays supersized game
850 in 1,300
Patrick Kane was recognized during the first timeout for skating in his 1,300th career game, earning cheers from fans and stick-taps from teammates and opponents. Clearly a fan of round numbers, Kane went on to pick up the 850th assist of his career when he tapped a pass to Alex DeBrincat that made it 2-1 in the first period. Earlier this season, the Buffalo native became the second United States-born player to reach 1,300 points, behind Detroit-area native Mike Modano (1,374).
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Shoot and tuck
Johansson showed off his skill set five minutes into the game when he picked up the puck at Dallas' blue line, strode to the high slot and whipped a shot around Evgenii Dadonov and glove-side on Jake Oettinger. That was Johansson's third goal of the season. Jamie Benn leveled that lead less than three minutes later when he carried the puck to Detroit's net, veered right, then pulled up and tucked the puck into the crease. The goal was credited to Lian Bichsel after review showed it went in off him.
Capture the moment
Berggren started the game on the top line, which Todd McLellan described as a chance to "capture the moment." Berggren wasn't a favorite of former coach Derek Lalonde, but seemed to get off to a good start when he scored on breakaways in consecutive games soon after McLellan's arrival. But then Berggren's play dropped off again, and he was a healthy scratch at times, until injuries forced him back into the lineup. "Ultimately at the end of the day, he and only he is responsible for his results," McLellan said. "We can help him, but he’s got to get it out of himself. You have to capture the moment when you’re there."
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings score: Red Wings top Stars 6-4 in season home finale
Continue reading...
