That didn’t happen on Sunday, but they got great goaltending and two power-play goals to pace them.
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The Red Wings replaced starting goalie Petr Mrazek with Jimmy Howard after Keith’s goal, and Detroit gained momentum after Nyquist made it 2-1 at 8:34.
Both teams look like locks to make the playoffs this year, but it would help both teams, to either win their respective divisions or get the second spot in the division so they can have home ice in the first round.
Artem Anisimov had a goal and an assist while Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Blackhawks. I thought we got better as the game went on.
Jori Lehtera, Ryan Reaves and Patrik Berglund scored goals and goalie Jake Allen had 30 saves, as the Blues won their third in a row and kept pace with the Chicago Blackhawks in the race for the Central Division crown. This was the fourth straight game where the Hawks have scored on the man advantage as they now also possess the NHL’s best power play, percentage wise. “Those aren’t going to be easy ones”. Captain Jonathan Toews’ needs one winning goal to eclipse the career high of eight he first set in 2010-11. “We want to finish as high as we can”.
“I think it really comes down to special teams”, Nyquist said. We had good stretches in the game, but then you watch the second period and we need the puck more.
Penguins 6, Devils 1: Evgeni Malkin scored two goals and visiting Pittsburgh took advantage of a couple of defensive lapses by New Jersey. But Howard stopped 19 of 21 shots and kept the Red Wings in it until Anisimov broke it open. Toews added another goalmouth tip-in for a 4-1 lead at 12:23.
The Detroit Red Wings have revenge on their minds when they look to further strengthen their hold on a postseason berth Sunday against the host Chicago Blackhawks.
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Crawford was the first star of the game in picking up his 35th win of the season, 2nd in the National Hockey League, as he pushes for Ed Belfour’s all time mark in season wins for the Hawks, with 43. He acknowledged the cheers with a wave…. Musician and actress Lady Gaga and her fiancé, actor Taylor Kinney, got a big ovation when they smooched when they were shown on the videoboard during the “Kiss Cam” segment in the second period. That role is of the inferior team that controlled play for a good portion of time, then ultimately faltered when the superior team team in Chicago decides to put it away in the waning moments.
