Detroit Red Wings end three-game skid with gritty effort in 6-4 win in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS — The Detroit Red Wings put in another determined effort as they endure a stretch without several key forwards.
Playing for the second time in two days, the Wings dug in and dug out from under multiple deficits Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. It marked a December-long trend where the Wings have come through offensively but looked shaky defensively, but the end result, a 6-4 victory, stopped a three-game skid and banked two points.
A solid effort Monday at the Dallas Stars left the Wings with a 6-3 loss. The Wings began this week without top-six forwards Dylan Larkin (upper body injury), David Perron (suspension) and J.T. Compher (lower body), and opted to use 11 forwards and seven defensemen in St. Louis.
The Blues got the first goal, with Brandon Saad taking advantage of being left un-defended to score down low at 5:56, but Jake Walman scored an equalizer at 13:33.
Jonatan Berggren scored a go-ahead goal in the first period, but the Blues scored three times in the second period, including a shorthanded goal from a player not known for his offensive touch. Lucas Raymond drew the Wings even with a power play goal in the opening minute of the third period, and set up Robby Fabbri's go-ahead goal at 6:38. Michael Rasmussen finished a strong outing with an empty-net. goal with 1:39 to play.
Dating to the start of December, the Wings have allowed four or more goals in five of six games.
Berggren makes his case
Berggren, called up to ameliorate the absences of key players, scored for the second time in two games. Credit Rasmussen for the hustle he showed in fighting off two defenders to maintain possession of the puck; he get the puck to Daniel Sprong, who found Jeff Petry. Petry's shot was stopped by Jordan Binnington, but the puck ricocheted off a Blues skater and Berggren was there by the net to turn it into a 2-1 lead at 15:31 of the first period. Berggren, 23, scored 15 goals in 67 games last season, but he was sent to the minors at the start of this season to work on getting defensively sounder.
Tough second
Kevin Hayes scored 31 seconds apart early in the second period. He earned first goal, at 1:40, when he deflected Nick Leddy's shot past Ville Husso. The second goal, at 2:11, was the result of Seider turning the puck over deep inside his own zone. It was a tough start to the period for the Wings, but they stuck with it, and got another equalizer near the midpoint. Another fine shift by Rasmussen saw him send the puck to the net, where it ricocheted out front. Seider was in the slot, and able to reach the puck and swing it behind Binnington.
Defenseman Marco Scandella, who had two assists in 25 games entering Tuesday, scored a shorthanded goal at 16:53. Shayne Gostisbehere's stick broke as he teed up a shot from the blue line, and Scandella was able to intercept the slower puck and race up ice.
Vrana on waivers
The Blues placed Jakub Vrana on waivers hours before Tuesday's game. If that sounds familiar to Wings fans, it's with good reason: The Wings did the same thing last January, while he was on a conditioning stint in the minors. By then things had soured between the Wings and the former 20-goal scorer. Two games into last season he was placed in the NHL and NHL PA Players Assistance Program last year, rejoining the Wings in mid-December. He didn't play again for them until mid-February.
At the trade deadline, general manager Steve Yzerman was so determined to move on from Vrana that he gifted Vrana to the St. Louis Blues for a seventh-round pick, retaining 50% of Vrana's salary on the contract that runs through this season at a $5.25 million salary cap hit. Vrana came under criticism this season in St. Louis for not being assertive enough (he had six points in 19 games) and once again, ended up on waivers.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings end 3-game skid with gritty 6-4 win in St. Louis
