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Summary:
There’s one stat that was given that should disturb every fan who follows this team. Detroit has not won a game where they didn’t score at least 4 goals. That, in a nutshell, is a team that isn’t ready in net or on defense or both.
Husso let in 3 goals on 10 shots in the first. More goals than he let in the last 2 games combined. He then gets hurt and Reimer comes in. Just about 2 minutes into the second Reimer lets in the game winner.
Full marks to Anaheim. They controlled the pace of the game for the majority of the game. After beating New Jersey they came in and Husso was back to this season’s form. The arguments will be made. The second goal was a deflection off of Larkin that he couldn’t stop. Fine. The third goal was a power play deflection and the defense didn’t clear out the crease. Fine. The first goal by Gudas could have been stopped. It probably should have been stopped. Either way, the team let in 4 again. It was interesting in the 3rd, but the hole had been dug.
Kane is closer in terms of shooting. He and Debrincat are connecting. The cat had 2, and Petry got his first as a Wing. The goals against were just more than Detroit could overcome. So what now?
It’s a long season, there are highs and lows. One very real concern is Raymond. He gets pushed down one handed more than any player I can recall. It kills the cycle as he coughs up the puck. It’s time to demote him temporarily while he gets this figured out. Each game it seems like he’s just being tossed around. It’s a contract year, so he could well be hiding an injury to try and get the best pay raise possible. If he has a sprain or bad ACL/MCL he can’t muscle through and that would be a reasonable explanation.
Still, how are we this far into the season and unable to win a game where 4 goals aren’t scored? The team needs help. When the goalies show up, the scoring dries up. The scoring showed up, and the goalie was giving out points like a cyber week special. The team is now potentially down to Reimer. Reimer was good in relief but ultimately took the loss for the one he let in. I guess there’s some solace in the fact that Detroit didn’t score the GWG for the other team for the third straight time.
Perron will miss one more at this point. The team has committed a lot of money and built a squad that scores more. The defensive structure, what can you say, is there one? It almost looks random. Like players waiting around to make a breakout pass. If Berggren really is on the market, it would have to be assumed that a blue line upgrade is the desired piece.
The team is in the middle of a frustrating stretch and came close to at least getting an overtime consolation point. They’ll look it over and come back Wednesday hoping to find a win after they’ve been few and far between of late. We’ll wait for the injury report. Keep an eye out for goalie call ups.
First Period Detroit goals: No first period goals for Detroit
First Period: Just 2:23 in Gudas beats Husso clean from the blue line. Henrique with dominant puck control on that shift. Husso should have had that one (opinion). 1-0 ANA
Another goal from ANA at 8:10. 2-0 ANA
Wings to the power play at 9:15. Hopefully something works for them. Been awful lately. Again, no conversion.
Kostin to the box as he bowls over Anaheim’s goalie. I’m not sure Klim is the best fit. Yes, we need big bodies. But Klim just killed the team’s flow and now we have two injured players off that PK.
Now Holl goes to the box with under two minutes left. This has felt like a disastrous first period. Anaheim converts and its 3-0. This *total honesty hear. Detroit looks as bad as they’ve looked all season. 2 straight games of far better goaltending and no scoring. Now, 3 goals on 10 shots. Two from the blue line (though one was deflected off of Larkin and drastically changed direction). The opening line was awful, Rasmussen is too slow to be in that position. Klim Kostin pulls a stupid as can be collision and it costs the team. The starting line was not sufficient. None of what we saw shows a team that was ready for this game.
Score: 3-0 ANA Shots: 10-9 ANA
Second Period Detroit goals: Petry gets on the board
Petry's first as a Wing! pic.twitter.com/VnAPMg9fo4
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 19, 2023
Second Period:
Ducks score again just 1:46 in. They are picking off passes and look far sharper than Detroit.
Finally at 2:29 Petry walked into the angriest slapshot I’ve seen in a while. Is it enough to wake the team up? Petry tries for a wrap around and at least one Wing looks tired of the current state of things.
Detroit with another power play chance at 7:55. Fail to convert again. Then Gudas takes out Kostin. Looks like a clean hit from the caveman and Kostin took all of it.
Detroit back to power play. Wings get a hooking penalty.
Score: 4-1 Shots: 20-18
Third Period Detroit goals: Debrincat’s first power play goal of the night:
Kane to the Cat. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/DuJvjE84dh
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 19, 2023
Debrincat’s second power play goal, just 1 or 2 seconds too late.
CAT x2! pic.twitter.com/u9O597dqyZ
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 19, 2023
Third Period:
Teams go 4 on 4 at 3:04 as matching minors of tripping and embellishment are called. If not for coverage in all honestly I probably would have turned the game off by this point. Kane still doesn’t have his shot back, Anaheim is still controlling the play and any brief moment of engagement Detroit brings up is shut down. Anaheim has the confidence of a team that is breaking out of a horrible losing streak, has a lead and wants to bury the opposition. They are executing well.
At 6:30 Detroit gets a power play as Veleno is tripped up. This one needs to connect to bring the team back into this. And, they do. At 7:17 Debrincat takes a pass from Kane and buries it. 4-2. The building sounds like it has fans in it again.
Teams go 4 on 4 at 9:07 with matching minors for post whistle happenings.
Wings go to another power play at 12:26 as Gudas goes to the box on a tirade. If Wings can cash in on this a 1 shot game is a lot more tenable than a 2 goal gap. Anaheim starting to shift composure but it’s a long road to 2 goals with the ability Anaheim has to stand in lanes. Can’t convert.
Wings get another chance on the power play with 4:30 left. This is the game. They get a double minor, up to 4 minutes of power play time. They have to convert twice to get to overtime.
Debrincat scores right at the end of the penalty. Discussion as to whether or not the penalty was expired decides that the penalty was expired. 4-3 regardless. It does look like it was about 1 or 2 seconds too late. Detroit needs a goal with 2:29 left to play at even strength.
With 1:14 left Anaheim’s goalie nearly scored gut iced it. Wings not able to take advantage of in zone face off and shoot the puck out of play with 24 seconds left. Wings lose 4-3 and Reimer takes the loss.
Final Score: 4-3 Anaheim Final Shots: 32-22 Detroit