Red Wings Drop the Ball Against Blue Jackets

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The post Red Wings Drop the Ball Against Blue Jackets appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now . Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Coming off the back of a heartbreaking loss to start their final homestand of the season, the Red Wings hosted the Blue Jackets at Little Caesar’s Arena, hoping to gain back some ground in the Eastern Conference Playoffs race. Tonight, they dropped the ball, letting a team that was literally running into themselves take the win, with Zach Werenski scoring the deciding goal in the shootout for the Blue Jackets to take the game 4-3.

Sisyphus by any other name The Red Wings, in what has become a troubling pattern, let in one of the opponent’s first shots of the game. After turning the puck over in front of John Gibson in net, the Red Wings left Danton Heinen uncovered, and he snapped a shot into the top corner of the net behind John Gibson just six seconds past the two minute mark of the game. It would take a penalty ten minutes later for the Red Wings to truly respond, with Dylan Larkin burying his own rebound for a power play goal, and his 31st of the season.

The Detroit captain hasn’t quite looked 100% himself after returning from his knee injury . However, even having Larkin at 60-70% is leagues above what the team looks like without him. Larkin would get his next point assisting Justin Faulk as Detroit took their first lead of the game after the veteran defenseman shot up the middle of the ice and outmaneuvered the two Blue Jackets trying to cover him.

Faulk , returning to the lineup after missing the last two games, looked solid for the team back in his usual spot on the second pairing. However, like most things with this Detroit team, it was not to last. Under five minutes later, David Perron’s penalty gave the Blue Jackets a power play opportunity to match the score, and it was Michigan native Werenski, potting his 22nd of the season knotting things back up before the second intermission.