Blackhawks, Red Wings seek redemption from OT losses (Jan 25, 2018)
DETROIT -- The Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings will both be looking to rebound from overtime losses when the teams meet at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.
Chicago (22-19-7) dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on its home ice on Wednesday night, while Detroit (19-20-8) lost by the same score to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night on its home ice.
Both teams are outside of the playoff picture.
It was the fourth consecutive loss (0-3-1) for the Blackhawks, who also finished a six-game homestand 1-4-1. They'll take their second losing streak of at least four games into the second of back-to-back games, in which they are 2-6-1 this season.
"It was a tough homestand, and when you look at it and you sum it all up points-wise," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Games that were a valuable situation, as far as keeping us in the race, and now we put ourselves in a tremendous hole. And then, hey, let's try and get a little life out of tomorrow but we certainly left a lot on the table here."
After losing 7-3 to the New York Islanders on Saturday and getting blanked by Tampa Bay on Monday, Chicago lost Wednesday night on William Nylander's penalty shot goal six seconds into the extra period. Nylander won the faceoff, took off on a breakaway and was hooked by Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith.
Defenseman Brent Seabrook and Nick Schmaltz scored for Chicago and Jeff Glass made 33 saves.
"A lot better tonight, but obviously we want two points," Schmaltz said. "Came out with one, gotta regroup and get ready for tomorrow."
It's the second and final meeting this season. Detroit won 4-0 in Chicago on Jan. 14 but is 2-4-1 in its last seven games with both wins being road shutouts.
The Red Wings lost Tuesday night on Travis Konecny's goal 27 seconds into overtime.
"We have to win more games. We can't just go .500. But we are playing better I think," Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg said. We are doing little things right. Even though we have some guys out, the guys that have come in are playing well."
Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson and center Frans Nielsen scored for the Red Wings on Tuesday and goalie Petr Mrazek made 28 saves.
Mrazek, who has backed up Jimmy Howard this season, started his second game in two days Tuesday after making 37 saves in 3-0 shutout over the New Jersey Devils on Monday night. The 4-0 win over the Blackhawks was his previous start.
"I was excited," Mrazek said after Tuesday's game. "I played a couple of back-to-backs in the past, so it wasn't anything new for me. I felt pretty good out there."
Center Luke Glendening had two assists in his first game back after missing 12 games with a hand injury. The fourth-line center is a key penalty killer and the Red Wings' top face-off man.
Detroit will still be without wingers Justin Abdelkader (groin), Darren Helm (knee) and defenseman Trevor Daley (lower body).
The Red Wings recalled center Dominic Turgeon, the son of NHL 500-goal scorer Pierre Turgeon, from Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League on Wednesday and also sent left winger David Booth to the same club.
Turgeon had been sent down on Tuesday, along with defenseman Joe Hicketts, to make room for Glendening on the team's salary cap.
