The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 in preseason action last night. The game, which was initially scheduled for Saturday night, was moved to last night following plane issues with the Penguins, which did not allow them to safely get to Detroit.
The Red Wings played most of their starters for the game, while their “B” team took on the Buffalo Sabres. Meanwhile, the Penguins mostly played their AHL/junior players who are left to fight for spots in this game. Forwards Drew O’Connor (one goal, two points), Lars Eller (one goal, two points), and Noel Acciari (two goals) led the game for the Penguins, while goalies Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist combined for 22 saves on 23 shots. Lucas Raymond scored the lone goal for the Red Wings on the power play, while Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane got the assists. Goalies Cam Talbot and Sebastian Cossa combined for 17 saves on 21 shots.
Recap
In the first period, Alex Nedeljkovic left the game, and Joel Blomqvist came in to replace him. Nedeljkovic was scheduled to play the entire game but got injured while making a save in the first period. With 2:25 left in the first period, forward Drew O’Connor tapped in a feed from Valtteri Puustinen on the power play to give the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
Just less than five minutes into the second period, forward Lars Eller gave the Penguins the 2-0 lead after Drew O’Connor carried the puck into the Red Wings zone and found Eller all alone behind the Wings defense shorthanded. About halfway through the period, forward Alex DeBrincat got the Red Wings within one on the power play off a one-timer after receiving a cross-ice feed from Dylan Larkin.
The Red Wings put in Sebastian Cossa for the third period to replace starting goalie Cam Talbot. Less than a minute in the third period, Noel Acciari extended the Penguins lead to 3-1 after receiving a feed from Rutger McGoarty. With 9:27 left in the third period, Acciari would grab his second goal of the period to extend the lead to 4-1 Penguins. With less than two minutes left in the game, Vasily Ponomarev buried an empty net goal to give the Penguins the 5-1 lead, which would end up being the final score.
Three Stars
- PIT G Joel Blomqvist (20/21, .952 SV%, 1 GA)
- PIT F Drew O”Connor (1G, 1A, 2P)
- PIT F Lars Eller (1G, 1A, 2P)
Game Notes
- PIT G Alex Nedeljkovic left the game midway through the first period after getting injured after making a save. He did not return to the game
- Red Wings outshot Penguins 23-22
- Penguins Penalty Kill went 5/6, Powerplay went 1/3
ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again – Inside The Rink
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