DETROIT, Michigan -- The Detroit Red Wings rallied from a 4-0 deficit to force overtime Monday night but couldn't hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the shootout, dropping a 5-4 decision.
Mike Modano scored a power play goal to tie the game on a power play with 9:33 remaining in the third period but James Neal scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Penguins the win.
Pascal Dupuis opened the game's scoring with 4:46 remaining in the first period when he slid a backhander from the right of Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard past him and into the far side of the net.
Chris Kunitz made it 2-0 4:03 later, beating Howard in close after scooping up the rebound of a Dupuis shot.
Dupuis added a shorthanded goal with 9:09 left in the second, jamming the puck home from the side of the net after his own initial shot bounced off the end boards and came right back to him.
Tyler Kennedy picked up the rebound of a Kunitz shot all alone in front of the net and put it past Howard 2:25 later, ending the Detroit netminder's night.
Henrik Zetterberg got the Red Wings on the board with 2:19 left in the middle frame, scoring on a backhander similar to the Dupuis goal that started the night off.
Valtteri Filppula made it 4-2 at 1:57 of the third, jamming the puck under Pittsburgh goaltender Brent Johnson from in close.
Danny Cleary tipped a Niklas Kronwall shot from the point past Johnson at 8:06 with the Red Wings on the power play and Modano's goal 2:21 later tied things up.
The final two goals put the Red Wings at two-for-four on the power play. The Penguins were scoreless on three tries with the extra attacker but did net Dupuis' shorthanded goal.
Johnson stopped Todd Bertuzzi, Modano, and Cleary in the shootout. Joey MacDonald made stops on Alexei Kovalev and Kris Letang before Neal beat him on the final shot.
MacDonald stopped all ten shots he faced in regulation and overtime but took the loss allowing one goal in the shootout. Howard stopped 11 of 15 shots he faced while Johnson stopped 31 of Detroit's 41 chances.
Two beat-up teams meet at the Joe tonight, with the Red Wings hosting the Penguins.
As was the case on Saturday, Detroit is without Pavel Datsyuk, Johan Franzen and Jiri Hudler. With all of the injuries up front, defenseman Ruslan Salei is slotted to play some minutes on the fourth forward line.
The Penguins will be without a whole mess of players, most notably Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Matt Cooke will also be out, serving the suspension that was handed down today.
Jimmy Howard starts for the Wings and Brent Johnson gets the nod for the Penguins.
Start time is 7:30 on Versus.
Tuned in just in time to see another softie by Jimmy
Now Helm can goal tend too...
Nice big fat rebound Jimmy... Always the gift giver.
Another one that was bad coverage by the D but soft by Jimmy, too. Where was the rebound control?
Other than that breakdown the rest ot the play looked pretty solid. AFN is carrying the Vs feed. Had to wake up at 0430.
Awful call to bring back the goal, totally a make-up for Saturday. Just get the call right.
Jimmy on his knees outside the crease again...
Osssssssgoooooood! Where are you!
Is it possible that they've all caught Hudler's "fever"? They look totally disinterested....Well, ok, not TOTALLY, but....
I know there are amy who'll say that the PP unit had a breakdown but Howard was outside the crease on his knees. He sucks. Now it's 4-0 because he can't control rebounds.
He sucks. Did I already say that?
Outshooting them 22-16 and were back 1-4.
Wings alive again. This game's been a mess but it's not over yet.
Helm's been on fire tonight.
Great shot by Kronner. Definitely tipped.
What a cannon shot!!!!! We've got a game.
Modano! Tie game, motherbitches!
WOOOT!!! WOOOT!!! WOOOT!!! WOOOT!!!
OH HELL FRIKKIN YEAH BABY!!!!!
Howard, you watching? That's how you control rebounds.
Down 4-0, Wings still gonna get a point out of this one. See about one more.
Not a good feeling about the shootout but like I said earlier, one point down.
And MacDonald gets the loss. Howard is a tool.
Yeah. Bert couldn't get lift, Mikey was predictable, and Cleary's stick broke. Wings used up all their luck in the third. I'm fine with that.
Yeah. Bert couldn't get lift, Mikey was predictable, and Cleary's stick broke. Wings used up all their luck in the third. I'm fine with that.
Except I really hate the Penguins...I thought maybe I couldn't find so much animosity for them with Crosby and Cooke out, but no, I don't like them anyway.
Mike Modano
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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