Wings c*ckblock BJs 4-1
Where’d you get the beauty scar, toughguy?
It’s November so it’s Dan Cleary’s time to shine. Not so much by taking Rick Nash’s clearing attempt right above the right eye, but in scoring goals. Last night he potted two goals to give him four goals in three games. Both goals came in the high-rent district which Mike Babcock spoke about and was quoted on in this MLIVE article.
“I think Clears has been excellent for us,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “The thing I liked about his (second) goal was he went to the net, he stayed at the net. He didn’t fly by. Lots of guys fly by and wonder why they don’t score a goal. That’s how you score. That’s how (Tomas Holmstrom) scores and that’s how (Cleary) scores. Lots of us can take a lesson from that.”
That first goal came with him setting a screen on Pascal Leclaire as Brett Lebda fired a shot from the point. The puck got past Leclaire and Lebda was initially credited with the power play goal. Subsequent review must have indicated the puck glanced off Cleary, so he received credit for the goal. That gave the Wings a 1-0 lead they would take into the first intermission.
Defenseman Nik Kronwall seems to have a pretty evenly divided amount of sentiment amongst Red Wings fans. Half seem to like his production at every level thus far and expect him to become a significant talent on Detroit’s blueline, while others are concerned about the fact a mere cough or sneeze can send him to the IR for at least one week. He makes Martin Havlat and Marian Gaborik seem like iron men.
My guess is Kronner gained some new fans in last night’s game when he smoked Sergei Fedorov as the former Wing crossed the Columbus blueline with the puck. Shortly after that play Feds took a hooking penalty which resulted in Cleary’s first goal. Kronwall was asked about the hit during the first intermission and he replied that he “enjoys that part of the game”. Fans love guys who dish out the types of highlight reel hits #55 lays out in open-ice. The fact he layed out a guy Detroit fans obviously hate isn’t going to hurt his popularity at all.
Columbus was able to gain a 5 on 3 power play near the end of the first period and they responded early in the second period when Rick Nash lifted a loose puck from in front of Detroit’s net past Dominik Hasek to tie the game at 1-1. Shortly after that score Johan Franzen took a bad holding penalty to put the Blue Jackets back on the power play.
Columbus controlled play early in the second stanza, but after the Wings successfully killed off the Mule’s penalty the DZH line gained momentum and generated some quality scoring chances. The BJs would take a penalty, and while trying to clear the puck while on the PK, Rick Nash’s backhander hit Dan Cleary squarely above the right eye. He was done for the remainder of the period while the trainers gave him 20 stitches to close the gash.
Jiri Hudler was working along the boards behind the net at the 12:00 mark of the second period when he drew a tripping penalty on Michael Peca. The Red Wings power play would cash in this time as Homer moved the puck from behind the net and took two swipes at the puck in close on Pascal Leclaire. Leclaire stopped the first shot but lost contact with the post. Holmstrom’s second swipe got past the netminder to stake the Wings to a 2-1 lead. That’s how the second period would end.
The Wings by and large controlled play as they outshot the Blue Jackets 25-9 through two periods. Dan Cleary returned to the lineup for the third period. Franzen took a hooking penalty early in the period and after Detroit killed that penalty off Tomas Kopecky was called for an interesting high-sticking penalty off the faceoff.
Shortly after the Wings killed off the Kopecky penalty Dan Cleary potted his second goal. He passed the puck to Kirk Maltby on the left wing and he went to the front of the net. Maltby made a nice return pass to him. Cleary’s first shot didn’t beat Leclaire but the second one did and Detroit built up a 3-1 lead.
As the game wound down the only question was whether Henrik Zetterberg woud keep his point streak intact. The streak did live for another day when Z faked a shot to get the defender to drop and Leclaire to open up the 5-hole for business. Zetterberg’s shot split the wickets and Detroit gained a 4-1 victory that built their division lead to 9 points.
Streaks
-The Wings have won their 9th straight game, which ties the team record.
-The Wings have gone 9 straight games while allowing 2 or fewer goals. The NHL record is 10 straight.
-Z continues his streak of registering at least a point in all 16 games thus far.
The game on Sunday against Chicago is going to be another interesting matchup as the Blackhawks are the only team in the division thus far to defeat the Red Wings and they’ve done so twice. Chicago is now tied with Columbus for second place in the Central Division.
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