We’re at the end of a shortened preseason, and the Red Wings preseason finale doubled as one last audition. The Detroit Red Wings had already trimmed their roster to 28, and Saturday night’s game was the last chance for players to show up and make the cut. The Red Wings came in off an OT win against the Buffalo Sabres, where the hometown player, Alex DeBrincat, both scored the OT winner and had a fight in the game. His fight and performance were a beacon of leadership for the team and were greatly needed. Saturday was also an important night for Anton Johansson, who has had a productive camp with five points and is fighting for his chance to wear Red and White come Oct. 2. John Gibson was in net for the Wings, with Carter Gylander as backup. Lineup below.
First Period: Bright Spots Among Mistakes
The first half of the period was pretty easy. Both teams had a couple of chances, but both goalies made good saves, especially Gibson on a Columbus breakaway. Just over halfway through the period, Columbus was poised to have another breakaway, but Axel Sandin-Pellikka used his speed and poke-checked the puck out of Columbus’ reach. ASP continues to show the superstar talent we all know he will be. His hockey IQ and speed are invaluable to any team. Anton Johansson continues to show he deserves to play in the NHL. Facing down a 2-on-1, Johansson defended it perfectly and eliminated Columbus’ opportunity. Columbus goes on the power play after Justin Faulk puts the puck over the glass for a delay of game. Charlie Coyle scores in front of the net at 14:40, and Columbus is up 1-0. Valeri Nichushkin capitalizes on a poor pass by Moritz Seider with 1:16 left; the period ends 2-0 Columbus. Detroit will begin the second period on the power play after a Jake Christiansen interference minor. Detroit had their moments, but I’m going to give them a C; too many mistakes.
Second Period: Shots and Mistakes
The Wings begin the period on the power play. A few good chances, but Columbus’ netminder, Jet Greaves, has been a brick wall all game. Jack Williams rifles one past Gibson into the top right corner at 3:55, and Columbus leads 3-0. The game goes to 4-on-4 after Conor Garland and Anton Johansson get into it after the whistle and both take roughing minors. Even though Detroit is outshooting Columbus, this game is all Columbus. They are controlling the pace and play; it’s not even close. Detroit is attempting to solve their problems by scoring, but they just aren’t scoring. The period ends 3-0 for Columbus going into the third.
Third Period: Not Enough
The third period starts about the same as the last period did. Columbus is outplaying Detroit at every turn. Alex DeBrincat gets cross-checked into the boards by Carson Soucy. Lucas Raymond comes to the defense of his teammate. DeBrincat skates off the ice under his own power, which is a good sign. Skirmishes ensue, and after the penalties are dealt, Detroit ends up on the power play on Soucy’s extra cross-checking minor. The Wings do not convert, but 17 seconds after it expires, Ben Chiarot scores right off the faceoff after Marco Kasper wins the draw, and Detroit is finally on the board. The Red Wings switched up the lines to generate some offense, and so far it has appeared to work. Kasper is centering the Keegan Kolesar and Michael Rasmussen line instead of J.T. Compher. Michael Rasmussen scores a gritty goal at 14:19, bringing Columbus’ lead to only one. Red Wings pull the goalie and give it a good chance, but Cole Sillinger scores into the empty net with 11 seconds left. Game ends 4-2 Columbus.
What the Red Wings Preseason Finale Showed
Even though the Red Wings outshot Columbus 34 to 22, it didn’t make a difference, and Detroit lost 4-2. The coaching staff will not be happy with how the game turned out. Way too many mistakes and missed opportunities; these mistakes compounded and led to Columbus winning the game. Detroit also went 0-for-4 on the power play and never solved Greaves, who stopped 32 of 34. This is disappointing because Saturday’s lineup will most likely be the same lineup on Oct. 2, when Detroit opens the regular season against the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena. There may be some changes, but this lineup will most likely look very similar to this one, with the exception of Dylan Larkin whenever he returns. Detroit had more shots, but Columbus had more blocked shots: 26 compared to Detroit’s 10. They also won more faceoffs, 58.5% compared to Detroit’s 41.5%.
