Detroit Red Wings hold on for 3-2 win over New York Rangers
Jimmy Howard made 45 saves to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers at the Joe Louis Arena on Monday night.
Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal and earned an assist for Detroit, who halted a two-game losing streak during which they were unable to score a goal.
Howard commented on the losing streak by saying, "The main thing is you just have to stay on the right path and remain focused and things will turn around for us."
Jiri Hudler and Drew Miller also found the net for the Red Wings, who improved to 16-7-4 on home ice. Derek Stepan and Brandon Dubinsky both netted goals for New York, who dropped their fifth consecutive game. Martin Biron turned away 32 shots in the loss.
Rangers Coach John Tortorella said after the loss, “This is our first major bump in the road. We’ve got to just stick with it.”
After a scoreless opening period, Datsyuk got Detroit on the board for a 1-0 lead just three minutes into the middle stanza, knocking in his own rebound from the crease.
Biron praised his team-mate by saying, "Datsyuk is a difference maker. They had been shut out in straight contests and he comes back and leads the charge offensively. That's what guys like that do."
The Rangers took twenty minutes to tie the game at 1-1, as Matt Gilroy slipped a cross-ice pass from the right circle to the left wing for Stepan, who stuffed the puck home. Less than two minutes later, Hudler restored the Red Wings lead at 2-1, as he took
a pass from Jonathan Ericsson and fired a high wrist shot from the right circle.
Miller gave the Red Wings a two-goal edge at 3-1, with five and a half minutes left in the third period, when Justin Abdelkader released a shot that dropped off Biron’s arm. Miller, on the doorstep, grabbed the puck and tapped it home.
Dubinsky however, pulled New York back to within a goal to make it a 3-2 game with four minutes left. Dubinsky skated on a 2-on-1 advantage with Sean Avery, before blasting a shot from the left circle.
Rangers got several opportunities to tie the game, including a two-man advantage for 44 seconds after a high-sticking minor to Ericsson, and a double minor for a similar offence committed by Abdelkader. Biron was pulled for an extra attacker in the last
minute, but Rangers still couldn't beat Howard even with a 6-on-4 advantage.
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