Detroit Red Wings score 4 early, hold on for 5-3 win over Boston Bruins
The sequel went better: The day after coming up short, the Detroit Red Wings came away celebrating.
They played the Boston Bruins for the second time in two days Sunday, taking the action to Little Caesars Arena in another nationally televised game. The Wings edged out the best team in the NHL, 5-3, the day after the Bruins became the first team to clinch a spot in the 2023 playoffs.
"Great win, really happy with it," coach Derek Lalonde said. "We got rewarded today with an outcome, but our six periods, on a whole, I thought were great, outside of that second period yesterday. I’m really proud of the guys and the effort and approach this weekend.
"That’s a really good team. They have a really good chance to do something special this year."
The Wings, who saw a two-goal lead dissipate into a 3-2 loss Saturday, built a lead again Sunday, and kept growing it. Alex Chiasson, Moritz Seider, Dylan Larkin and Adam Erne made it 4-0 before the Bruins got one by Ville Husso. Jake DeBrusk scored on a breakaway early in the third period. Larkin had a breakaway immediately after but hit a post; instead, David Pastrnak cut the Wings' lead to one goal with 13:36 to play. Husso made nine saves of his 30 saves total in the final five minutes to help protect the lead, and Andrew Copp secured the Wings' 30th victory with an empty-net goal.
"We got a little loose but when it got to 4-3, we really dug in and we just battled and go the job done," Larkin said. "Hus made some big saves and kept us going and we stayed out of the box."
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Similar first
The first period bore similarities to Saturday's. Killing off an early penalty to Seider? Check. On Sunday, it was for high-sticking Patrice Bergeron at 8:18. Convert on a power play? Check, courtesy of Chiasson, to make it 1-0 at 12:22. Outshoot the Bruins? Check, albeit Sunday's 8-4 margin wasn't as impressive as Saturday's 15-10 edge. But it was another good start for the Wings, who did a good job in their own zone limiting chances against Husso and carried play in the Bruins' zone.
Better second
Lalonde said the Wings were burned by Saturday's second period, when the Bruins flipped a two-goal deficit. There was no charring Sunday: Seider fed momentum with a shorthanded goal when he forced a turnover and scored on a backhand. "I thought I had some pressure on my forehand side, that’s why I took it on the backhand, and luckily I got it over the glove," Seider said. "I was as surprised as everyone else, it’s not something I practice. I just saw a big gap there and jumped in it. I was really happy that I scored."
Larkin converted during a power play to make it 3-0, and Erne connected on Jonatan Berggren's rebound to make it 4-0, but Matt Grzelcyk scored a minute later to make it 4-1, Wings.
Chiasson's contributions
What a story Chiasson has written since joining the team March 3, when the 32-year-old signed a pro-rated, $750,000 contract for the remainder of the season because the Wings needed to replenish their lineup after the trade deadline. Chiasson had been playing on an AHL contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins. A veteran of more than 600 NHL games over the past decade, Chiasson recorded two assists in the March 8 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, including a between-the-legs blind pass. He scored his second goal by being at the net, in position to scoop up the puck and put it behind Jeremy Swayman.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings hold onto early lead vs. Boston Bruins in 5-3 win
