Is October too early to talk about a must-win game for the Detroit Red Wings?
Probably. And yet Thursday’s 2-1 victory over the winless Philadelphia Flyers (0-6-3) felt as though it could be a defining moment for the team.
Lose in regulation and not only would Detroit (2-3-2) give the Flyers their first taste of victory this season, but the Red Wings would also plummet to the basement of the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
With the win, the Red Wings move to within three points of a playoff spot.
Andrew Copp flipped a rebound past Flyers goalie Joseph Woll for the game-winner at 15:22 of the third period.
Matvei Michkov swatted a puck past Detroit goalie Daniil Tarasov to open the scoring in the first period.
In the second period, Detroit defenseman Anton Johansson tied it. He converted a Dylan Larkin feed, driving a one-timer past Woll.
Tarasov made 17 saves for his first victory with the Red Wings. He’s allowed one goal in two starts for Detroit, losing a 1-0 shootout decision at Montreal on Saturday.
Takeaways
The Red Wings went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen again in this game. Carter Mazur was the forward who sat out. Johansson’s goal was his first in the NHL. He’s the third Red Wings player to get his first NHL goal this season, following William Wallinder and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Key Moment
The winning goal was manufactured by the unlikeliest of trios. Copp scored it. It was his first goal since March 19. Michael Rasmussen drew the assist for his first point since January 5, ending his 32-game drought. Nate Danielson’s secondary assist was his second of the season.
Key Stat
The two teams were a combined 0-for-5 on the power play. Detroit was 0-for-3, and Philadelphia was 0-for-2.
Up Next
The Red Wings are home again on Saturday (7 p.m.) when they play the San Jose Sharks. Detroit swept the season series (2-0) from San Jose last season.
Related Headlines