Not much went right for the Detroit Red Wings Sunday afternoon, as the Pittsburgh Penguins handed them their first loss of the 2021 NHL Preseason in blowout fashion.
First Period
The penguins set the tone of the game early, getting on the board less than four minutes in. A rip from the right faceoff circle snuck between Alex Nedeljkovic’s leg and the pipes.
The game got a bit chippy after a big hit on Jonatan Berggrren. Turner Elson went to blows with Brian Dumoulin and both collapsed to the ice after a few seconds of trading hits.
11 minutes in, the Red Wings had their first penalty kill of the game. Pittsburgh capitalized on the man advantage, as a shot from the right faceoff circle ripped to the left of Nedeljkovic.
After a couple of penalties on the Penguins, Detroit had a chance to claw their way back into the game with some five-on-three hockey for nearly two full minutes.
Jordan Oestrele was given the role as power play qb. He notched on assist on Detroit’s only goal of the night, as Robby Fabbri passed it through the front of the net to Pius Suter, who snuck the puck in under the goaltender. The last minute of the power play went quite poorly for the Wings, as they struggled to gain entry into the offensive zone.
Too many men on the ice for the Penguins gave Detroit a power play to finish out the period. Again, zone entry was an issue and the period ended with a one goal lead for the Pens.
Second Period
The Penguins kept their foot on the gas to start the second, even as the Red Wings began the period with the tail end of a power play.
The Red Wings power play was given another chance to produce after Chris Letang drove the net and crashed into Nedeljkovic. Detroit failed yet again to score as the struggles on the man advantage continued, although the manayged to actually get some possession in the offensive zone.
As the penalty expired, Letang raced from the penalty box, took possession of a loose puck after a blocked shot and slapped a shot past Nedeljkovic on a breakaway. The Red Wings killed off an ensuing penalty just a few minutes later.
The Penguins continued to pile on in the period, as another odd shot trickled in past Nedeljkovic at the front of the net. Victor Brattstrom stepped in afterwards.
Third Period
A boarding penalty a minute in gave the Penguins a power play. But the pk was solid this time, thanks in part to a few timely saves from Brattstrom.
The Penguins kept piling on, cashing in on a two on one chance and extending the lead to four points.
For the most part, both teams were relatively quiet in the third. The loss against the Penguins was the Red Wings first in four exhibition matchups, but they have a chance to make up for it tomorrow night against the Chicago Blackhawks.