Turning Points Point to Narrow Defeat

The turning point of this back-and-forth matchup in an Original Six NHL city shifted about as much as players entered and exited the ice on the fly. But on this night, Detroit held the winning turn, downing the Kraken, 4-2, on the first game of a four-game swing. Chicago is next on Thursday, before Saturday-Sunday back-to-back nights with Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders.

Was it Red Wings rookie center Nate Danielson scoring not one but his first two NHL goals in his fifth game to give the home squad a 3-1 lead in the middle period?

Well, no, because the second Danielson score was overturned thanks to fast work by video coach Tim Ohashi and video analyst Adam Purner. The duo spotted that the scoring play was completed after the Red Wings were offside. It was a razor-close call, but correct with the NHL Toronto Situation Room concurring.

During a second-intermission interview with Kraken Hockey Network’s Piper Shaw, assistant coach Chris Taylor praised Ohashi’s leadership on the video review, referring to him as the “best in the league.”

“They need a little bit of time to look at it, but they were fairly certain,” said head coach Lane Lambert post-game. “They just wanted to see if they could get a different angle on that.”

A few shifts later, after the overturned goal, Berkly Catton was credited with his first NHL goal. At first, to the official scorer, it looked like Ryker Evans’ lofted knuckler-like shot made its way past bodies and Wings goalie Cam Talbot. But Catton appeared to get a piece of the puck to change the official scoring. But early in the third period, the goal was credited back to Evans, marking his second goal in six games after starting the season on the injured reserve list.

Back to the turning points. Mid-second period, Jani Nyman took the puck on a lateral bull rush to the net, crashing into Talbot. A minor melee ensued with young DET defenseman Mo Seider jumping on Nyman, who was prone on the ice. Tempers cool because, after all, Nyman was nudged net front. But the Kraken rookie still went to the penalty box for goaltender interference. Another Detroit rookie, Emmitt Finnie, scored on the power play (not one of the five better-known Red Wings scoring almost at will during man-advantage this season to date). That marked the third lead change of the game, the second for Detroit.

“We get a great call from our video coach to overturn a goal, then we get a goal to tie the game,” said Lambert. “We make a mistake on the penalty kill that we can't make ... that's the bottom line, it's a mistake you can't make. We're not asking anything other than proper positioning.”

Detroit’s third goal proved to be the turning point, after the Kraken couldn’t scare up an equalizer, with just three shots on goal and six overall attempts in the first 15 minutes of the final period.

“I don't think we had everyone going,” said Lambert. “We can't afford to have anybody not going. We were okay in the game, but not good enough to win.” Holding a 1-0 lead to begin the second period, Lambert, his coaches and the team knew that Detroit is a juggernaut in the middle 20 minutes so far this season. “We knew going in they had a plus-62 shot differential on a second period before the game,” said Lambert. “I think Joey probably wants the first one back, so that's one. Then we don't box out on the second one, which goes into our net.”

Tolvanen Almost Ties It Late

In the final minutes, Eeli Tolvanen almost provided a dramatic turning point on a point-blank shot on a feed from Shane Wright. But Detroit goalie Cam Talbot saved the goal and the game for the Wings by gloving down the shot. Tolvanen had a second late opportunity, but Talbot stopped that one, too.

Tolvanen, with two assists, nearly notched a third point in what has been a hot stretch for him. He has two goals and two assists in the last three games.

Kraken Score First, But Detroit Doubles Up

The first period was so even for most of the 20 minutes that the two teams were tied in shots on goal at six each in the first seven minutes, then knotted at 7-7 with 11 minutes gone and 9-9 with two minutes left in the initial frame. That’s when the Kraken and captain Jordan Eberle tilted the score, if not the ice, with a power play goal. Matty Beniers picked up his 11th assist, and Eeli Tolvanen notched his seventh.

Eberle now has eight goals on the season, and along with fellow veteran and Kraken original Jaden Schwartz, has been a standout night in and night out. The two close pals are now tied with the team scoring lead with 14 points apiece. Eberle leads in goals with eight, Schwartz is right behind with seven goals to go with seven assists, while Matty Beniers (11), Vince Dunn (9) and Chandler Stephenson (8) are the top three in assists.

But the first two minutes of the second period were all wrong way, as in the Red Wings’ favor. Lucas Raymond snapped a shot that leaked past Joey Daccord’s pad in the Kraken goaltender’s return after missing five games with an upper body injury.

Forty-five seconds later, former Seattle expansion draft pick Mason Appleton sent a puck on net. It caromed off Danielson’s leg for the rookie’s first-ever NHL goal in his fifth game.

Lambert was calm but not anywhere near satisfied during the post-game medium scrum when asked about Detroit holding the Kraken to just shots on goal in the third period (the second period total was six).

There’s always effort, right?” said Lambert. “Our guys work, and they give it everything they have. I didn't think we shot the puck enough third period. Again, we're playing against a team that [plays] man-on-man in the D-zone for the most part. You’ve got to find a way to put the puck in the net, find a way to get a greasy goal. And I don't think we attempted enough shots, not only in the third but all night long.”