Detroit Red Wings defeat Columbus Blue Jackets
On Sunday 28 November the Detroit Red Wings met the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second time in three nights. The Red Wings won Friday’s contest by a score of 2-1 in front of a sellout
crowd in Columbus. When the teams moved to Detroit for Sunday’s game, the Red Wings did not disappoint their hometown fans, defeating the Blue Jackets 4-2.
Entering the game, the teams sat one and two in the Western Conference standings. The Red Wings were in first place with 30 points, while the Blue Jackets were hot on their heals with
28 points. Sunday’s victory provided Detroit with a bit of breathing room, the victory giving them 32 points and a four-point cushion over Columbus.
The Blue Jackets took the lead with less than one minute remaining in the first period when Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard was beaten to his glove side by a Derick Brassard tip-in of an
Anton Stralman shot.
Detroit would tie the game at the 10:12 mark of the second period with a goal by Niklas Kronwall. Kronwall put a shot on Columbus goaltender Steve Mason from in close. Mason was able to
stop the first shot, but Kronwall poked at the rebound and put the puck behind Mason.
The Red Wings would take a 2-1 lead just 14 seconds later on Darren Helm’s second goal of the season. Helm gathered the puck from behind the Blue Jackets’ goal line then skated to the
front of the net before releasing a wrist shot. Helm’s shot found its way over Mason’s shoulder and into the net.
Detroit would jump to a 3-1 lead 52 seconds into the final period. The Blue Jackets were on a line change when the Red Wings were able to work the puck deep into the Columbus zone. Todd
Bertuzzi took a shot from the boards that was tipped by Johan Franzen. Mason was able to stop Franzen’s attempt, but he left a rebound in front of his net for Valtteri Filppula, who lifted the puck past a diving Mason for the goal.
Columbus would come within one goal when R.J. Umberger scored on the power play with less than two minutes remaining in the game. The Blue Jackets had pulled their goalie and were skating
six-on-four when Antoine Vermette fired a slapshot toward the net that was deflected by Umberger to make the score 3-2.
Danny Cleary would lock up the 4-2 win for Detroit with an empty net goal at 19:01 of the third period.
After the game Brassard spoke about the back-to-back losses to the Red Wings. “”We’re a good team, but that was a good indication that we still need to get better,” Brassard told NHL.com.
“There’s a lot of room to keep improving. They’re playing good hockey right now. They’re a team that’s on top of their game and on top of the conference.”