Red Wings 2, Maple Leafs 3: Swede Nylander Leads Leaf Comeback, Sending Detroit Home Sour
William Nylander leads a furious Toronto comeback to send the Red Wings home from Sweden on a sour note, having taken just one point from four in Stockholm
It's often said that the margin between defeat and victory on any given night in the modern NHL is as thin as it's ever been in the league's history, and a 20-second stretch of hockey in the second period of the Detroit Red Wings' and Toronto Maple Leafs' clash at the NHL's Global Series in Stockholm offered a compelling piece of supporting evidence.
At one end of the rink, Detroit defenseman Jake Walman lost his balance and crashed into the post as the Leafs sought to connect on a pass from below the goal line to the slot. It was a scoreless game, and the officials reviewed the play to see if the puck might have squeaked into the net before Walman dislodged it, but they concluded no goal had been scored.
22 seconds later, Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly was nailed for covering the puck in the crease, and the officials awarded the Red Wings a penalty shot. Daniel Sprong, took the opportunity, and, though he is better known for his powerful shot, danced past Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov with an artful backhand-forehand deke and a dab of patience to lay the puck into a wide-open net.
The Red Wings were off and running, and one minute and 52 seconds later, Detroit added to its total when the Red Wings' lone Swedish international Lucas Raymond blistered a shot from a dreadful angle off the cross bar and past Samsonov to double the lead.
However, as if to further reinforce the power of the parity that abounds in the NHL of 2023, Detroit's lead evaporated over the course of a disheartening third period, with the Leafs' Swedish superstar William Nylander leading the comeback charge.
The Red Wings' offensive outburst in the second followed a first period that showed a peculiar blend of pave and caution. The pace of play was high, with plenty of end-to-end rushes in each direction, but the two sides combined to muster just 12 shots on goal (seven for Detroit, five for the Leafs).
Both at even-strength and short-handed, the Red Wings showed far greater attention to their defensive details than they did a day ago against the Senators. In particular, Detroit was much stouter at securing the slot and preventing premium chances, and forwards and defensemen alike did good work to break up Toronto's cycle, precluding the Maple Leafs from settling into the the Red Wing third of the rink.
Behind the Detroit defense, the quiet composure Alex Lyon displayed in the Red Wing crease suggested a goaltender in top form, not one who hadn't faced game action since the preseason.
In the third, Lyon did his best to preserve Detroit's advantage—coming up with multiple distinct flurries of brilliant stops in the face of heavy Maple Leaf pressure, none better than back-to-back saves from point blank range on Auston Matthews.
However, Toronto—led by Nylander—had too much firepower for Lyon to hold off. The comeback began when the 27-year-old Swede spun away from Andrew Copp at the point, then sashayed toward the net, before finding former Red Wing Tyler Bertuzzi at the top of the crease for a tap-in. At the risk of beating a dead horse after yesterday's myriad defensive lapses, it was another failure of D zone coverage from Detroit. The Red Wing lead was cut to 2-1 with just under four minutes played in the final period.
Not quite 10 minutes later, Nylander found a patch of soft ice in the slot in front of Lyon and buried a feed from Mitch Marner for a one-timed power play goal to tie the game with a shade under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
The Red Wings might still have salvaged points by holding on to force overtime, but instead, John Tavares capped a cycle sequence from Nylander to Bertuzzi and on to the Maple Leaf captain at the back post for another tap-in. Detroit's improved defense from the first period was no where to be found, as Bertuzzi and Tavares converged unabated by Red Wing defenders for what would prove the game-winning goal.
Detroit mounted one last desperation push in the game's dying minute, with Lyon lifted for the extra attacker, but their bid to flip the game's script once more came up empty. What looked through 40 minutes like a galvanizing victory proved a deflated defeat at the end of 60.
Jake Walman, arguably the team's most important defenseman and if not its second most, was hurt and unable to finish the game. Tyler Bertuzzi, a once beloved Red Wing, played a central role in sinking his former team on behalf of the rival Maple Leafs. The familiar demons of poor coverage and untimely penalties reared their unwelcome heads in a third-period collapse. Worst of all, Detroit managed just one point from a possible four in its Swedish tour.
Sure, Lyon's performance in net provided a bright spot, and Raymond enjoyed a well-deserved star turn with goals in both games, but beyond that, there was little to relish about the Red Wings' trip to Stockholm.
Detroit will get a chance at redemption Wednesday—by which point they will have returned to the States and will host the New Jersey Devils in the familiar environs of Little Caesars Arena.