In a low-scoring affair in Music City, the Detroit Red Wings dropped a close 1-0 game to Nashville that stayed scoreless for almost 55 minutes
In a low-scoring affair in Music City, the Detroit Red Wings dropped a close 1-0 game to Nashville that stayed scoreless for almost 55 minutes
The Red Wings came to Music City singing a completely different tune than the past few weeks. With three wins in their past four games, their song switched from a dejected dirge to a hopeful power ballad as the playoff race heats up.
Nashville (42-25-4 overall) put a damper on that noise. In a defensive battle that stayed scoreless for almost 55 minutes, Detroit (36-29-6) lost a 1-0 nail-biter. While the outing showed one of its best defensive showings in a while, it couldn’t capitalize on the result.
The first period ended scoreless, but Nashville controlled the run of play for most of the period with a 13-8 edge in shots on goal. This included a pair of high-danger chances from forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Tyson Barrie that Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon saved.
Surviving into the intermission, the Red Wings came into the second period with renewed energy. They outshot the Predators 9-7 throughout the period, a couple of which were barely stopped by Juuse Saros. Some measure of credit for this turnaround falls to defenseman Moritz Seider, who dropped the gloves with Nashville forward Filip Forsberg for his first NHL fight five minutes into the period. The fight sparked energy for the Red Wings from there on out.
However much energy Detroit might have harnessed, it couldn’t turn that into goals. Despite a pair of power plays, the Red Wings couldn’t beat Saros. Even with a number of chances at the net front, Detroit couldn’t find a lead and headed into the intermission in the same scoreless fashion.
This trend continued throughout the third period in a back-and-forth period until Forsberg finally broke the deadlock with 5:14 left in the game. After a loose puck rolled around the crease and then out, Forsberg picked the top right corner from the right faceoff circle, beating Lyon on the 31st shot of the game.
With an empty net in the game’s waning minutes, the Red Wings made a last-ditch effort to tie the game. The Predators stayed on top of them despite being outnumbered, and they cleared away the puck enough to outlast Detroit’s late push.
The Red Wings didn’t play a bad game in Nashville, though the result certainly isn’t what they wanted. One goal against is their best defensive performance since a 4-1 win over Buffalo last Saturday, and it’s one of two such outings in their last 14. For a team Detroit whose usual M.O. is scoring through depth and overwhelming other teams, such a low score reflects some measure of defensive success. Especially considering the blowout losses it has sustained the past three weeks, the 1-0 margin is a vote of confidence for a unit that hasn’t had a lot of success to point to.
But without goal support to make use of it, Detroit still left Music City without a win to start its five-game road trip. No matter how well it played defensively, the two points matter as much as the process in a dead-heat playoff race to end the season.
Even if they’re singing a different tune, the only key that matters for the Red Wings is getting points in the standings.
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