Filip Hronek, Moritz Seider's big nights help Detroit Red Wings rout Blue Jackets, 6-1
Contributions from defensemen helped the Detroit Red Wings end their first extended road trip on a winning note.
Filip Hronek and Ben Chiarot were among the scorers in Saturday's game at Nationwide Arena, where the Wings routed the Blue Jackets, 6-1.
Defenseman Moritz Seider celebrated a milestone with three assists, and captain Dylan Larkin also had a three-point performance as the Wings (9-5-4) enjoyed their biggest margin of victory of the season.
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An early tone was set with a successful penalty kill while Tyler Bertuzzi was off for hooking, and continued when the Wings went on a power play. Seider, playing in his 100th career game, made a nifty little touch-pass to David Perron, who fed Larkin in the slot for a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.
That stood until the opening minute of the second period. Boone Jenner won a draw against Larkin, toe-dragged the puck around Hronek en route to Detroit's net and fired a pass across the crease that Emil Bernstrom knocked behind Ville Husso. Hronek restored the lead at 6:35 when he slid into the slot and connected on a loose puck.
Chiarot followed up at 10:45. Lucas Raymond — also playing in his 100th game — earned the first of two assists when he sent the puck back to Chiarot, who ripped a shot from the blue line that beat Joonas Korpisalo cleanly. Hronek scored his second of the night at 17:02, feeding off a perfectly timed pass by Larkin and firing a hard shot that landed inside the top of the netting. That was Hronek's third goal in two games, fourth goal of the season, and 14th point in 18 games.
Dominik Kubalik avenged Mathieu Olivier's high hit on Hronek in the third period by scoring on the ensuing power play, collecting his ninth goal of the season on a one-timer set up by Seider and Larkin. Bertuzzi added to the rout with a goal midway through the third period.
It was the final stop on a four-game trip that saw the Wings open with a loss at the Los Angeles Kings. The rest of the trip featured games against teams hovering at or near the bottom of the NHL standings, but the Wings blew a late lead to lose in overtime at the Anaheim Ducks. A stop in San Jose yielded a victory, and the Wings headed home from Columbus with five of eight points and a five-game homestand beginning Wednesday.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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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: Filip Hronek, Moritz Seider lead Detroit Red Wings past Columbus, 6-1
