Detroit Red Wings edge deprived Los Angeles Kings 4-3 -NHL Update
Los Angeles was kept at bay yet again from taking over the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, this time by Detroit as the Red Wings edged Kings, 4-3, Friday night, March 9, 2012, at the sold-out Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Playing without a number of key players like Pavel Datsyuk, captain Nicklas Lidstrom, Todd Bertuzzi and Justin Abdelkader along with veteran goalie, Jimmy Howard, Detroit has been forced to work others overtime.
It certainly showed as the Red Wings fell from number one in the Western Conference to the number fourth ranked team now. With various recalls from their minor league affiliates in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit is looking
like a team with more rookies than veterans, something very unusual.
Jeff Carter gave Los Angeles something to work on with his power play goal to inaugurate the scoring at 7:29 into the first. Henrik Zetterberg followed with his 17th of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season but Justin Williams
was right there to take the lead yet again for the visitors.
Henrik Zetterberg fired off the equaliser for Detroit at 15:37 in the second, forcing an intense competition in the third with both teams tied at 2-2.
Dwight King gave the impression that Los Angeles would be regaining lost ground in the final 20 minutes with his tie-breaking goal at 14:06, but Valtteri Filppula and Darren Helm scored two back-to-back to take the match in the final moments by a single
point.
Having faced only 15 shots throughout the matchup, Kings goalie, Jonathan Quick, just was not playing at their level, failing to block four in total. Detroit’s defender, Joey MacDonald on the other hand, faced 24 shots and diverted 21 to keep Red Wings alive.
Detroit snapped their two-game losing streak and has the next on the road against a heated Nashville Predators club on Saturday. Red Wings would be going in as the underdogs with their young club.
Kings stay on the road for one more against Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday before returning home to face the Detroit Red Wings yet again on Tuesday.
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