Powerless Plays: Wings lose 4-1 and go 0 for 7 on the powerplay – Winging It In Motown

Three pregame notes of importance.

First, apparently a WWII veteran is an usher at LCA and he dropped the puck for Military Appreciation Night.

Second, Mick is once again rocking the pre-game flannel with a cheeky attitude to match.

Third, the starting line combos are something.

Acciari gets a great scoring chance thanks to Daley but Jimmy stops it. And just like that Red Wings get a powerplay at 1:43! Connolly for roughing Bertuzzi. The Wings give up a shorthanded chance after Zadina gets clipped in the visor/ear with a high stick (no call), but Jimmy makes another save. Powerplay over after nothing exciting happened in our favor.

Another penalty! Pysyk trips Bowey. Wings back on the powerplay at 6:07 after a tripping call on Pysyk [pronounced like a sound you make at a cat that is rudely ignoring you]. And another powerplay over! The Wings did get 4 shots.

Nemeth gets a double minor for high sticking (it was not on purpose and Ekblad really is bleeding) at 8:36. Penalty kill time! Nice toe save by Jimmy on Huberdeau to kick things off. Jimmy and the posts have been busy but all are in full Tiberius mode and keeping it locked down. Penalty killed!

Biega DANGLES? It doesnt work but that was fun.

13:47 and Hronek takes exception to a clean hit and grabs Trochek and throws some punches. Throws punches TO THE RIBS. BODY SHOTS. WHAT A MANIAC. Take a note Big Tony, thats how you do something stupid without breaking your hand.

The refs break it up before it becomes a real fight. Hronek gets a 2, 5, AND 10 for instigator/fighting/misconduct. Blash is doing the lizard squint thing he does when hes a certain level of annoyed. Panthers back on the powerplay with 6 minutes to go and Hronek down the tunnel.

Penalty killed and smart to have Fabbri sitting in the bad boy box for Hronek so he can grab a scoring chance right when the penalty expires. All the Wings players are energized and putting together scoring chances.

Until.

Dadonov is wide open and has all the time in the universe to crash the net and score. Not Jimmys fault and its 1-0 Panthers.

And then Pysyk makes it 2-0 Panthers.

Two quick goals against at the end of the period? This NEVER happens to us! Jimmy kept it from being much worse, but was no match for Mike Green and Madison Bowey.

Stop me if youve heard this one before. A PENALTY HAS BEEN CALLED! Dylan Larkin was FRAMED for slashing Pysyk at 3:06 and were back on the penalty kill.

Nemeth, a lefty, broke his stick and had to use LGDs right hand stick which is imbued with all the magical backhand power which helped him shovel the puck out of the zone. Art. Abdelkader also managed a shorthanded breakaway but he didnt score. Not Art.

But then, fresh out of the penalty box, DYLAN LARKIN SCORES GOAL #100! 2-1 Panthers. Beautiful goal from the future captain at 5:15.

ANOTHER PENALTY. Malgin interfered with Ehn at 5:50. Red Wings on the powerplay again. Powerplay over and we learn that Filppula will not return to the game due to a lower body injury of some sort. Not sure when that happened.

OH MY TAP DANCING KEN DANIELS ANOTHER PENALTY. Connolly tripped Bowey at 8:08. Wings back on the powerplay, a new powerplay, with the same people, but a minute after the other one. But this one is also not successful. Were 0/5 on the powerplay so far tonight if you havent been counting.

The second half of the period is a whole lotta nothing, which is far from bad news for the Red Wings. The Panthers have beaten the Wings the last 5 times but the Wings are showing a lot of energy, hustle, heart and definitely grit tonight. Its been mostly a battle of goaltending so far, with the difference coming from how easy it is to crumble the Wings defense.

But not giving up a shorthanded goal is still a type of victory.

Hronek shoves at Trochek again, maybe a little crosscheck from a cross Czech, and a little later in his shift Trochek hunts him down and lays him flat. That gets Trochek called for interference and Red Wings on the powerplay!

Bowey manages to get a piece of Barkov to stop a shorthanded chance. Powerplay has had a tough time getting anything set up tonight but this one did have a bit more consistent zone time, after the almost-shorty. Another powerplay over.

Larkin also took a Mike Green shot off the instep, but seems fine.

I literally just looked up my ceiling and screamed because there are TWO MORE PENALTIES TO REPORT. 6:29 has Malgin high-sticking Fabbri and 6:50 has Larkin FALSELY IMPRISONED for the sports crime of tripping against Acciari. Well play 4 on 4 for a bit.

Great save by Jimmy on Ekblad! Hes been Mr. Slidy Saver this homestand. Vatrano is trying to sell a performance hoping for yet another penalty call but the refs arent buying.

NIELSEN ON A BREAKAWAY.

HE FAILS.

TWICE.

TWO TIMES A FAILURE.

Barkov gets a break the other way, and he gets two chances, and Jimmy stops them both! Poetry. Penalties expire and its 5 on 5 again with 11 minutes to go. Still 2-1 Panthers. Bobrovsky and James Tiberius are putting on a show tonight, and it would be nice if Bob would stop.

Speaking of things that should stop, multiple reports are rolling in that the Woos have started up again.

Vatrano is in some pain and Hronek is leaning over the boards saying something at him, Mick thinks its funny anyway. Biega heads to the box for inflicting said pain in the family gems. He gets a major penalty for spearing and a game misconduct, but its under review. After review, its knocked down to a 2 minute slashing penalty. It was a garbage move in any case and we end up with Biega 2 minutes for slashing at 12:50. Penalty kill time!

The penalty is not killed. Barkov makes it 3-1 Panthers. Jimmy should be furious at Biega for taking that stupid penalty. Again, Jimmy has been fantastic all night.

BUT GUESS WHAT ITS POWERPLAY TIME! AGAIN! Sceviour unsportsmanlike conduct at 13:45. Im not sure how Green going after Pysyk for hitting him in the face and Larkin coming to help out Green ends up with Sceviour in the box but its been a confusing game. Were now 0 for 7 on the powerplay. But still have not given up a shorthanded goal so...victory!

Two minutes to go, Jimmy still fantastic and amazing in full Tiberius mode but ready to head to the bench at any moment. Hes to the bench and the puck is in the empty net. Malgin makes it 4-1 with the empty netter.

Game over. Wings lose 4-1 with shots 38-28 in favor of the Panthers.

Once more, Jimmy was great.

JIMMY WAS GREAT.