Kane Leads Red Wings to Key 5-2 Win Over Flames
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By Doug Hirdle
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Summary:
- The Calgary Flames suffered a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
- Patrick Kane scored twice while Alex DeBrincat added three assists in a strong performance.
- The result sent Detroit into a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Detroit Red Wings came into Monday night’s NHL game against the Calgary Flames looking for a response, and they received one in a big way. Behind a strong performance from Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, Detroit handled the Ryan Huskas side 5-2 at Little Caesars Arena.
“This Was a Good Start”
Kane scored twice, while DeBrincat set the tone with three assists, continuing a stretch where the two have been among Detroit’s most reliable players.
Head coach Todd McLellan said afterward,
It was good to see (Kane) and (DeBrincat) get rewarded for their elevated play. They’ve been doing it for five or six games now, and we are going to need it.
Detroit had been struggling recently, dropping five of its last six games, so this one mattered.
Goaltender John Gibson, who made 25 saves, didn’t downplay it either:
At this time of the year, every game is important, so this was big. We need to start racking up some wins, so this was a good start.
Huska: “We Gave up Too Many Odd-Man Rushes”
Calgary actually opened the scoring late in the first period, but the game quickly turned in the second.
Detroit came out flying and scored three times in just over five minutes. Kane tied it on a breakaway, finishing a long pass from DeBrincat, and never really looked back.
Flames coach Ryan Huska said
We gave up too many odd-man rushes, and I think a little bit of that is a lack of recognition of who you are on the ice against. I mean, Patrick Kane is a pretty good player.
Kane’s line has taken on extra responsibility with Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp both sidelined. McLellan pointed out how important that has been:
Patrick understands the situation and the need for him to elevate. He’s capable of doing it and he is doing it. He drags some people into the game.
After Detroit built a 3-1 lead, Calgary briefly made things interesting, but the Red Wings answered again to keep control. A power-play goal and a late empty-netter sealed it.
Kane summed it up simply:
We had a lot of chances, a lot of good looks. We probably could have had a couple more.
With the win, Detroit moved into a wild card position in the Eastern Conference. It is still tight, but this was exactly the kind of performance they needed at this point in the season.
