DENVER, Colorado -- Red Wings backup goaltender Ty Conklin stopped all 29 shots he faced Saturday night, helping Detroit hold off an early push by the Colorado Avalanche en route to a 3-0 win.
The Avalanche outshot the Red Wings 11-10 in the first period and carried the play early on but Conklin kept them off the scoresheet, giving his team time to find their game.
Johan Franzen finally got Detroit on the board with 2:19 left in the second period. As the Red Wings gained the Colorado zone, Jiri Hudler dropped a pass to Franzen at the top of the left circle. Franzen snapped a shot over Semyon Varlamov's shoulder and into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0.
Henrik Zetterberg made it 2-0 with 8:02 remaining in the third period on a give and go with Pavel Datsyuk. Zetterberg gained the Colorado zone and passed it off to Datsyuk in the high slot. Datsyuk gave it right back and Zetterberg one-timed a shot into the same corner as Franzen had scored in earlier.
Datsyuk added an empty net goal in the game's closing minutes to wrap up the scoring.
Varlamov stopped 36 of 38 shots Detroit sent at him.
Neither team scored a power play goal on the night. Detroit had four chances with the extra attacker and Colorado had three.
The Red Wings are now off until Thursday when they host the Vancouver Canucks.
Notes: Before the game, the Avalanche raised Peter Forsberg's #21 to the rafters.
Patrick Eaves was back in the Red Wings' lineup, with Tomas Holmstrom replacing him as a healthy scratch.
The Red Wings hit the road for the first time this season, visiting the Colorado Avalanche on the night that the Avs retire Peter Forsberg's jersey.
No comments from me on the illustrious history of the Avalanche.
I haven't seen a full roster for the game yet but we know Ty Conklin gets the start and Patrick Eaves is in. Drew Miller is probably out for Eaves, since Babcock has said he wants a natural center on the fourth line.
Game time is 9:00 with the Forsberg ceremony already underway. FSD has the TV.
Lineup is in... Holmstrom and Brunnstrom out up front. Smith suspended on defense. Mursak and Commodore on IR.
Start of the game delayed by a Lokomotiv tribute. Kind of wish FSD was showing it.
Wings looking sloppy early and the Avs definitely have jump.
Wings getting outworked all over and attempting some awful passes.
I just spent the last minute pulling my hair out and yelling "HOW COULD THEY NOT SCORE ON THAT?!" for both teams. Wow.
Wings didn't start looking solid until that last power play.
Conklin is really on tonight.
That play was made by Pavs turning on the afterburners down the right wing.
Kind of what Ken and Mick were saying, but I'm thinking the first goal tonight comes off a broken play and/or a giveaway.
Jesus, Mule, what a shot.
Wings looked a lot better that period, stopped with some of the stupid play but it still feels like the Avs have more energy.
I thought for sure Zata was too deep to make that work. Fantastic shot.
Pavs with the ENG. And that took more effort than it should have.
And Conklin wraps up the shutout. Not a great game overall but the Wings really rebounded from a bad start.
Make no mistake, the story of the night for the Wings was Ty Conklin.The Eurotwins being reunited so quickly and all that is interesting but that doesn't even happen if Conklin hadn't kept Detroit in the game early. No matter that Johan Franzen was picked as it, Conklin was the first star of the game.
That said, it was nice to see the Wings pick up steam as the game went on. They shouldn't have had to, but they did do a great job of turning things around after the slow start.
Not a great second game of the season but there is good to take away from it. And a win is always a win.
I fully agree with everything you pointed out. In my mind, the goalies should have been listed as one and two with the Mule dropping to the third spot. This game could have easily been 6-5 or could have been tied going into the third period however, solid goal tending at both ends kept things rather interesting and fun to watch.
I just spent the last minute pulling my hair out and yelling "HOW COULD THEY NOT SCORE ON THAT?!" for both teams. Wow.
Do you have any left?
Is it my imagination (or wishful thinking), or are the Wings showing significant improvement in speed? As a team, they just seem to be much faster in these early games....
Is it my imagination (or wishful thinking), or are the Wings showing significant improvement in speed? As a team, they just seem to be much faster in these early games....
I've thought so a couple times. Datsyuk turning on the afterburners going down the right wing on one second period play really surprised me. He can dance but I feel like he doesn't usually show speed like that.
Ty Conklin
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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