It’s finally over.
The U.S. election?
Well yeah, that too.
But we’re talking hockey here, and for the first time in nearly two decades, the Detroit Red Wings have something to talk about in Philadelphia.
The Wings rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits for a 3-2 victory over the Flyers Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center when Andreas Athanasiou scored the only goal of the shootout.
The Wings also ended their current five-game winless skid, and that was what mattered most to coach Jeff Blashill.
“I’d focus more on this year,… Blashill said. “The other one has nothing to do with, not a whole lot to do with this team. Just from this year, you need to win.
“I thought we played good at times in those five games but we weren’t getting results and when you play good you’ve got to find a way to get results, and we found a way tonight.…
AA Delivers Athanasiou also scored the third-period goal that tied the game, setting the stage for his shootout heroics.
“If he gets the puck in the right area with his speed he’ll be dangerous for sure,… teammate Gustav Nyquist said of Athanasiou. “Him and Larks (Dylan Larkin) are kind of similar in that situation, where if they get the puck at full speed you can’t really catch those guys.
“AA, he’s made some real nice plays on a few goals now where he’s shown some speed and nice skill.…
Athanasiou has four goals in four career games against Philadelphia.
“I don’t know, for some reason the puck finds the way into the back of the net against Philly,… Athanasiou said. “I’ll take it. “I’ve just got to put it in the past now and look forward to the next game.…
Jimmy’s Job? Jimmy Howard started back-to-back games for the first time this season and was again strong, and it could be that he’s won back his spot as Detroit’s No. 1 goalie, at least for the time being.
“I know what I’m capable of and I’ll just try and keep it going as long as possible,… Howard said. “It’s just about going out there and giving the guys a chance to win.…
Bert’s First Forward Tyler Bertuzzi is one Red Wing who doesn’t know what it’s like to lose in Philadelphia. Tuesday was his NHL debut.
“I just took it shift by shift,… Bertuzzi said. “At first I was little nervous there with the puck a few times. It came back to playing hockey and I know how to play the sport. I got comfortable and I started making my plays and playing my game.
“I thought I was pretty good. I felt not bad. I was above the puck. I was good stick on puck. I was playing simple. I wasn’t trying to make the fancy play. I was playing my game and I felt better.
“I got the opportunity and I thought I did well at it. I’m looking forward. I’m just going to keep doing it, keep pushing and keep it simple.…
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