Wings claim Game, Series and Division lead from Preds
Kyle Calder draws a crowd
Dave Sandford - Getty Images
Tonight’s matchup between the Wings and Predators could have some important ramifications. But putting that aside, here is what Detroit was able to gain with their 4-2 victory tonight over Nashville:
>The win in regulation puts Detroit one point ahead of Nashville for the Central Division lead
>The win gives Detroit a 5-2 lead in the 8 games the teams will play one another this season
>The win also vaults Detroit into first place in the NHL, giving them home ice if they can remain in first
Tomas Holmstrom returned to the lineup tonight but Valtteri Filppula balanced things out by leaving with about 5 minutes remaining in the second period. He did not return and it has been reported he has a lower body injury. So it remains to be seen how long he will be out of the lineup.
The Wings fell behind 1-0 on a goal by Alexander Radulov at the 18:06 mark of the first period and then 2-1 on a goal that deflected off the shaft of Jason Arnott’s stick at the 10:12 mark of the second period. Nick Lidstrom tied the game at one on a blast from the point at the 1:16 mark of the second period that beat Chris Mason. From that point forward the second line took over for Detroit.
Robert Lang’s line once again led Detroit to victory, but tonight was Jiri Hudler’s night. The rookie got loose with two goals and just missed notching the hat trick when he rang a shot off the post in the third period. Hudler’s first goal came at the 16:23 mark of the second period and tied the game at 2-2. The goal was similar to Robert Lang’s goal last night, as Hudler approached the net as the puck bounced out from the crease. His shot got past Mason to give Hudler his third goal in as many games.
His linemates were also solid with Lang tallying two helpers and Kyle Calder notching an assist. His second goal came when two Predators went to double Lang around the 5:35 mark of the final stanza. Hudler snuck around the outside and received a perfect pass from Lang before beating Mason to give Detroit the 3-2 lead. Hudler has scored the game-winning goal in back to back games where the stakes were pretty high, so that bodes well for the rookie forward.
Here is what Mike Babcock had to say about Hudler following last night’s game, when Hudler notched a goal and an assist:
“Its good for Huds (Hudler), cause Huds can score. If he can just learn to back check and compete every single night he can be a real good player. A lot of people talk about his skating. His skating is fine if he works at it.”
I’m sure Babcock will talk about Hudler some more in tonight’s post-game interview. Hudler seems to have really thrived alongside Calder and Lang. With Pavel Datsyuk’s line cooling off due in large part to injuries, the suddenly unstoppable second line has taken charge at just the right time. Kirk Maltby scored for the second straight game when he notched the empty-net goal to put the game away.
On Monday I mentioned that I felt the eight days from March 13 - March 20 were going to be important for the team’s chances to win the division and get home ice. By taking both games from Nashville Detroit is in good shape to finish strong. They have two tough games coming up against Vancouver and Calgary. If they can gut those games out they will really be in good shape to contend for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Jiri Hudler Kirk Maltby Nicklas Lidstrom Red Wings2 Comments
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[…] My game summary may be up later in the afternoon/evening, depending on how the breaks in my schedule go. I’m hoping to get it done before then, but no promises. In the meantime, check out Dave’s reaction to the game, as well as The Forechecker’s liveblog of it. […]
[…] … Before the game, FSN had an interview with Jiri Fischer. He looked and sounded great, but he isn’t any closer to finding answers on his condition. He still wears the defibrillator and still hasn’t ruled out a return to hockey. Good to see him after so long. … Todd Bertuzzi has been sent down to Grand Rapids to practice with the Griffins while the Wings make their trip to Canada. He cannot play for the Griffins due to stipulations in the CBA, but the Wings obviously wanted him to stay in shape while they’re gone. They didn’t want him to fly out with them because the flight could be problematic for his back. … All you anti-Wings folks out there might like this: for the second intermission, FSN showed a feature entitled “Ken Holland on Building the Empire.” … Gorilla Crouch … Abel to Yzerman … Behind the Jersey … On the Forecheck. […]