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Howe’s That?

November 16, 2018, 7:22 PM ET [0 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
As if it wasn't enough that the Detroit Red Wings saw their four-game winning streak come to an end via Thursday’s 2-1 loss at Ottawa to the Senators, Red Wings legends from the great beyond were being punished by game officials.

The Wings were as surprised as anyone at the Canadian Tire Centre when during the first period of Thursday’s game, referee Tim Peel assessed a hooking penalty to Detroit’s No. 9.

“I started laughing,” Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard said. “That was a little weird.”

There hasn’t been a No. 9 in the Wings lineup since April 4, 1971, when Gordie Howe played his final game for the team.

On the bench, there was equal puzzlement.

“We caught that,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We weren’t sure if Gordie was coming back.”




In point of fact, the infraction was called on Detroit’s No. 22, Wade Megan.

And yes, it’s the first time in his career that Megan was ever mistaken for Mr. Hockey.

Howe’s last penalty as a Red Wing was a minor infraction assessed in the second period of a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Olympia Stadium on April 3, 1971.

He also scored Detroit’s only goal of that game, beating Tony Esposito and it turned out to be his final tally as a Wing. The two players who drew the assists on Howe farewell marker in a Detroit uniform?

Don Luce and Jim Niekamp.

Double Zero
Thursday’s outcome could have easily gone Detroit’s way had either Andreas Athanasiou or Michael Rasmussen converted third-period penalty-shot opportunities. Both players were foiled by Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson.

“Certainly, we had real chances that we didn’t score on,” Blashill said. “When you get two penalty shots and you don’t score, those were real players taking the penalty shots. So good for Craig Anderson, he’s been a good goalie in the league for a long time. In the end he made two critical plays at critical moments.”

It was just the third time in franchise history that Detroit was awarded two penalty shots in the same game. On November 24, 1938, Mud Bruneteau was awarded two penalty shots against the Chicago Blackhawks and goalie Mike Karakas. He was the first player in NHL history to be awarded two penalty shots in the same game, but Bruneteau missed both shots.

On December 15, 2007, Valtteri Filppula and Pavel Datsyuk had penalty shots against the Florida Panthers and goaltender Tomas Vokoun. Filppula scored, while Datsyuk missed.

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