The Detroit Red Wings faltered in their season opener on Thursday. They’ll try to smooth things out in their second game when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Detroit allowed five goals in the last two periods of a 6-3 home loss to Pittsburgh. The Penguins had been shut out in their opener the previous night.
“The last few years, we’ve been pretty good in the openers. I can’t remember having problems like that in our openers,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “… They were on a back-to-back, so you never know, right? We got to play the games and play a full 60 (minutes). We didn’t do that (Thursday). They did.”
The Penguins scored three goals in the first 5:28 of the second period, forcing coach Derek Lalonde to pull goalie Ville Husso.
“You (let) a couple of easy ones in against a talented team and that’s how it piles up on you,” Lalonde said.
The Red Wings felt they controlled the first period, which ended with the score knotted at 1-all.
“We felt like we were doing the right things, but then we just have big-time breakdowns. A lot of sloppy breakouts, sloppy coming back to our zone and finding coverage,” Larkin said. “Not a good second and third period, not a good start for our season.”
There were a few good signs. Alex DeBrincat had two goals and an assist, while top free agent acquisition Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his Detroit debut.
The Red Wings and Predators split their two meetings last season.
Nashville also lost its opener, falling at home to Dallas 4-3 on Thursday. All of the Stars’ goals came in the second period.
“I thought we played pretty solid,” Nashville forward Steven Stamkos said. “When you look at shots, the chances, the overall game was there. That’s a very good team over there and you give them a couple quality grade-A chances like we did, it’s in the back of your net. Then, before you know it, you’re down three goals against a really good hockey team. So, probably not the recipe that you want, but we certainly didn’t quit.”
Nashville had 16 more shots on goal than the Stars, who scored on three consecutive shots early in the second.
“I thought we played well,” said forward Filip Forsberg, who had a goal and an assist. “There was a 10-minute period of the second when we gave up a few chances, a couple turnovers… Other than that, I thought we outplayed them for the most part. The goalie played well for them.”
Forsberg has a point in nine consecutive season openers. In 23 career games against the Red Wings, Forsberg has 10 goals and 11 assists.
Nashville began its season without top goalie Juuse Saros, who is recovering from a lower-body injury. Scott Wedgewood filled in for him.
“I think maybe some puck management in the second period, a couple mistakes we made (hurt us),” defenseman Roman Josi said. “Other than that, I thought overall we did a lot of good things. And a lot of things to build on and get back at it on Saturday.”
–Field Level Media
