Postgame: Flames @ Red Wings – 11/23

Tonight’s win wasn’t the cleanest the Wings have had this season but it had a lot of good points, including the two points in the standings that the team will take regardless of how they played.

I said after the first period that it was a bit slow but that the Red Wings had managed to limit Calgary’s chances so it was good. To start the second period, Detroit continued to play slow while the Flames came out with jump and took advantage. Detroit can’t expect to coast and it could have bit them in the ass tonight.

Jarome Iginla’s goal was textbook execution of an odd-man rush, aided by the fact that there seemingly was miscommunication on whether Nicklas Lidstrom or the backchecking Detroit forward would be covering him. Brendan Morrison’s goal was in part a rookie/lazy mistake by Jakub Kindl, who ended up covering no one on the play. The Wings need to make sure they don’t make a habit of plays like those.

That said, three out of four on the power play (and one just after the expiration of the man-advantage) is a very good thing to see from special teams that haven’t been great this season. Tomas Holmstrom had a dominant night in front of Miikka Kiprusoff, with his two power play goals moving him into a tie with Brendan Shanahan for fifth place all-time in Red Wings power play goals.

I said that Calgary’s third goal came off them taking advantage of the opportunity given to them when Darren Helm lost his stick. The Wings returned the favor with their fourth and fifth goals. Stupid penalty by Curtis Glencross put the Wings on the five-on-three and they made it work.