Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening called Wednesday’s 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers the team’s most complete game of the season and he was absolutely right.
“It was a great effort all around,… Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said. “If we continue to play as a five-man unit out there in all three zones we’ll be very competitive and a tough team to play against.…
The Wings had it all going for them – timely goals, including a momentum-crushing shorthanded breakaway goal by Andreas Athanasiou to make it 2-0 in the second period, and stellar netminding from Howard, who made 30 saves in posting his 22nd NHL shutout.
Defensively, the Wings limited their turnovers and their puck management was consistently wise. Luck was even on Detroit’s side. The Flyers hit the post during a first-period power play after two Detroit penalty killers – Glendening and Darren Helm – broke their sticks.
“We didn’t panic,… Howard said. “We shrank into a small box there.…
With Philly goalie Steve Mason on the bench for an extra attacker, Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey banked a desperation clearance from behind the net off the glass all the way down the ice and into the vacated Flyers goal.
“That was a 180-footer,… Howard said. “It was great to see.…
Winning their third straight game, the Wings again featured better decisions in their handling of the puck, rarely offering the Flyers any free looks.
“I think it’s just the paying attention to detail,… Howard said. “If you’ve noticed, we’ve definitely limited our turnovers at the blue lines. “We made quick, simple plays to get the puck out of our zone and that’s what we’re going to have to do to be successful.
“We’ve been a lot smarter with the puck, not forcing things and taking what’s given. We’ve just got to keep on that path.…
It comes down to this for the Wings – win in Boston Thursday night against the Bruins and they are locked into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 25th successive season.
“It was fun, a great way to play our last regular-season game here,… Howard said of the shutout victory. “Now we’ve got to go out on the road and take care of business.…
Been There, Done That All those clichés about the Wings being experienced and possessing the knowhow to get the job done with the chips are down? Well, those clichés are proving to be clutch down the stretch for Detroit.
The last week, the Wings have performed like a playoff team and that’s why they are on the brink of being a playoff team yet again.
“We’ve got several guys who’ve been through this for several years now, playing the last several days to get into the playoffs,… Howard said. “The push has been going on here for a while.
“Even when it wasn’t going so well, the confidence never wavered in this room, especially from guys like Z (captain Henrik Zetterberg), Pav (Datsyuk), Kronner (Niklas Kronwall), Richy (Brad Richards).
“They just kept that calmness over the team.…
Detroit coach Jeff Blashill figures his team’s been prepping for this stretch drive since the first real pucks were dropped back in October.
“I felt like we've been in the playoffs all season long,… Blashill said. “From day one, we've had to grind out wins, everything's been close. We've never been too comfortable in a playoff spot.
“At times we've been on the outside looking in and I don't think you can ever let it slip too far.
“Certainly as we've gotten down to the last month here, we've been having to scratch and claw for every point and find ways to keep in the race here so I think our guys are certainly in that playoff type mode.…
Limited Time Offerings Though he saw just 10 shifts and 5:58 of ice time on the night, Athanasiou again found a way to make a significant contribution.
“He’s one of the rare players who can make an impact without playing many minutes and there’s not many players like that, but he’s got that lightning speed that when he does get those types of opportunities he can really do a good job,… Blashill said.
“The one thing Double A can do when he’s out there is he’ll get his breakaways and he’s good on breakaways.…
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