The Detroit Red Wings had to be experiencing some deja vu with Friday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Toronto is known to be a competitor, Detroit was hoping to get the best of them after falling in overtime on Thursday.
The “afternoon” game for Metro-Detroiters was a clash between Toronto and Detroit, a border battle, though it took place in Sweden. As was the case on Thursday, plenty of former NHLers were on hand, and tons of fans in what looked like a packed barn.
The Red Wings came out in the first and did not allow a goal, which has been a real struggle for them lately. In the end, the Red Wings were able to score first. Daniel Sprong was awarded a penalty shot. He made a move in front and was able to stay controlled after the puck was loose off his stick for a second. He then fired it home for a goal.
After that, Lucas Raymond continued to stay hot in front of the home crowd, playing with some home ice tilt. He sniped a goal to beat Samsonov and extend the Red Wings lead to 2-0 after 40 minutes of play, but the third period proved to be the problem.
Detroit Red Wings late penalty leads to demise vs. Maple Leafs.
The Detroit Red Wings rallied against Ottawa to force overtime, and even though they ultimately lost, they scored four goals to climb back up what felt like an insurmountable deficit. Even though they lost, Detroit did battle near the end of the game.
The Maple Leafs came back this time, giving the Red Wings a taste of their own medicine. Only Detroit could not hang on for overtime and come away with any points. Old friend Tyler Bertuzzi is still the same junkyard dog. After a gritty sequence, he scored the first goal in front.
Shayne Gostisbehere could have been in a better position, but he got a stick on Bertuzzi’s. But Bertuzzi was stronger on the stick and able to get the re-direct past Lyon. Then, soon after, Moritz Seider took a late penalty that ultimately tilted the ice back in favor of Toronto.
Seider was in the box, and William Nylander ignited the Maple Leafs fans overseas with a big-time goal. After that, Detroit pretty much lost its momentum. John Tavares was able to be the difference-maker. He buried one, slamming it home after a cross-crease pass.
That sealed the deal for Toronto, as they held on to win, making it a 3-2 game in favor of the Maple Leafs. That wraps things up for the NHL Global Series, as the Red Wings will go home 0-1-1, salvaging just one point.
The rundown…
After the Detroit Red Wings’ 3-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, let’s discuss some of the key takeaways.
- Detroit scored first. Shockingly, they fended off Toronto and came away with the first goal after Sprong’s penalty shot goal.
- Alex Lyon was solid. Even though Detroit lost and Toronto scored three goals in the third, Lyon made some big saves. After not seeing the ice for the entire 2023-24 season, Lyon held his own.
- Jake Walman left the game with an injury. He was down on the ice after a bad fall that sent him face-first into the post/net. He had to leave the game and did not return. After the game, there was no update from Derek Lalonde. Walman has played well, so this could be a detriment to an already teetering defense core.
- Moritz Seider‘s penalty was costly. If he had not taken it, the Maple Leafs might not have tied the game at two.
- Lucas Raymond continues to score. He scored another goal in Friday’s contest, bringing his season total to seven. The home-ice advantage in Sweden was real for Raymond.
Detroit did not exactly meet expectations on their trip to Sweden. But they have a few days off now to travel home and try to get back into the swing of things again. I expected the reset before this trip to be beneficial, but maybe this time, it will work out better.
The Detroit Red Wings are back in action next Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena against the New Jersey Devils.