Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

Red Wings post season-fewest shots, fall to Senators in shootout (with photos)


Photos by Michael Caples/MiHockey

By @SKubus

DETROIT – Despite recording the fewest shots on goal in a game this season, the Red Wings nearly pulled out a victory over the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night thanks to a stellar netminding performance from Petr Mrazek.

But it was the Senators, a team chasing Detroit in the standings, who took a 2-1 shootout victory at Joe Louis Arena. Mark Stone scored the shootout winner. Mrazek turned aside 33 of 34 through 65 minutes and Gustav Nyquist scored the Red Wings’ lone tally. Ottawa’s Andrew Hammond only needed to stop 15 of 16 to pick up the victory.

“We found a way to get a point, it was a huge point for us, give Pete a lot of credit,” head coach Mike Babcock said.

“I thought our team competed real hard, I thought they had more hands on deck than us and I thought they played faster than us.”

Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey
Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey

Captain Henrik Zetterberg said the penalty killing and goaltending were the bright spots in an otherwise dreary outlook.

“The PK was good. I think we battled all in all, lost Miller early, played with fewer guys here, but we battled hard. Obviously, we want to get two points in a game like this, but the PK was fantastic, powerplay not so good. We had our opportunities. I don’t think we created anything on the powerplay. We’ve got to be better.”

Despite allowing three goals on four attempts in the shootout, Mrazek was spectacular through the 65 minutes of hockey he played. He impressed his head coach enough to earn the start in Boston Thursday.

“I thought Mrazek did a real good job, and he’ll get the start against Boston, and then his job is to do it again,” Babcock said. “That’s the great thing about the goaltending position; if you do it every night, you get to play every night.

“After the shootout, I saw Pete sprint off the ice. To me, he doesn’t have anything to hang his head about. He was outstanding, gave us a chance.”

Early in the game off a face-off in the Detroit zone, Drew Miller took an accidental skate to the face from Stone. Miller immediately rushed off the ice and to the Red Wings dressing room. It was announced later in the period that Miller had suffered two deep lacerations around the right eye with no damage to the eye itself, but that he was still being evaluated.

Mrazek stretched his right leg across the crease to deny Stone’s rebound opportunity, in what may have proved to be the save of the night.

It took nearly 15 minutes for Detroit to record its second shot on net.

Roughly six minutes into the middle frame, Justin Abdelkader capitalized on a turnover by leading a rush with Nyquist. Just inside the blue line, he dropped the puck for Nyquist who ripped a wrister low past the blocker of Hammond to give Detroit a 1-0 lead on just its sixth shot at that point–Ottawa had 17, meanwhile.

The physicality and chippy play picked up considerably in the second half of the period.

“I think we had great intensity to be honest with you,” Babcock said.

Finally the Sens were able to beat Mrazek, as Clarke MacArthur tied the game up with just 4:02 to play in the third period on the Senators’ 33rd shot of the evening. That goal forced overtime and eventually a shootout where Stone scored the winner.

Erik Cole, Riley Sheahan and Pavel Datsyuk were all out due to injury, though the former two were expected to dress Tuesday.

“I’m optimistic that by the time Boston gets to town, we’ll have more hands on deck,” Babcock said.