Detroit Red Wings Score Three Wins in Four Days
Playing in a shortened season, facing three wins in four days, and with two of those games having less than 24 hours in between for rest, it was a scenario that would spell certain disaster for most other teams. But for the Detroit Red Wings it’s a formula for success, and one that many say will take them to their 22nd consecutive playoff run. The only question is, can it last?
The third win came for the Red Wings on Sunday after defeating defending Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings, 3-2. The game was intense almost from the minute the puck was dropped. With back and forth action lasting most of the game, the score was 2-1 for the Red Wings with just over a minute left in the third period. The Kings pulled goalie Jonathan Quick and Kyle Clifford, the extra skater, was added. But it was Alec Martinez who put the puck in and tied the game once again for the Kings, putting the score at 2-2.
Quick resumed his post once again, and it looked as though this one was headed for OT. But the Kings couldn’t get the puck out of their zone, and when Jonathan Ericsson connected with it, he managed to put it past Quick with just five seconds left in the game. That wasn’t enough time for the Kings to make a comeback, and it gave Detroit their third win in four days.
Detroit’s first two wins came against St. Louis on Thursday night, and then again on Saturday when they played the Edmonton Oilers — just the night before they played the Kings. Their schedule looks as though it could allow the streak to continue, playing St. Louis again on Wednesday and the Minnesota Wild next Sunday. In between however, they’ll also face off against Anaheim on Friday, a tough team in that division.
There’s no real reason that Red Wings shouldn’t make the playoffs this year, especially if they can continue this run. However, they’ll need to do some serious work on both their power play and their penalty kill if they want to make something of it while they’re there.
Categorized in: NHL