Re: The Captain Returns - NHL19 - Detroit Red Wings


The Detroit Red Wings move one step closer to a successful Stanley Cup Championship defense after eliminating the Boston Bruins in 5 games.
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
Game 1 - 25th April, Boston @ Detroit

Detroit fight back from a 2-0 deficit to take game 1 with a 3-2 victory over Boston.
The Red Wings were blown away early by a spectacular display put on by Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, scoring twice for the visitors by mid-way through the 1st period.
Filip Zadina began the rally for Detroit, scoring late in the 1st giving the home side some hope with the score set at 2-1.
The 2nd period nearly went without score until with 3:26 remaining, Claude Giroux scored his 3rd for the playoffs to tie the game. Then with only 29 seconds remaining in the same period, Kirby Dach nailed the go-ahead goal, nearly bringing Little Caesars Arena’s roof down as the crowd showed their appreciation.
Dach’s late 2nd period goal would later be deemed the game-winner for the Wings, with no further score in the final period, giving the Red Wings the perfect start to the series.
Dach & Zadina complimented each other well on the 2nd line, both scoring a goal & tallying an assist to each other’s major.
Husso was also promising in net. The Finnish net minder completing the game with 30 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 2 - 27th April, Boston @ Detroit

The Red Wings do what all teams with the home-ice advantage want in the playoffs - that’s to win the first two games at home. They do so, but only just, as the Wings hold on to win 6-4 over the Bruins in game 2.
The Red Wings practically had the game locked away after the 1st 2 periods with the score sitting at 4-0 in their favour. The Bruins had other ideas, scoring the next 3 goals within the 1st 8 minutes of the period bringing them right back into the game, until Tyler Bertuzzi steadied the ship with a scrappy goal in front of net to make the score 5-3.
The Bruins kept coming & with 3:32 remaining, Bruins’ Ryan Donato scored the visitors 4th, reducing the lead back to 1, keeping all fans in the arena glued to their seats to watch the final minutes.
The Bruins went for broke in the final 1:20 pulling Darcy Kuemper, however the move backfired & Anthony Mantha scored the Red Wings 6th with 0:52 remaining , which finally sealed the deal.
Penalties played a huge part in the Bruins demise in the early parts of the game, consuming 24 penalty minutes which gave the Wings too much space & freedom to do what they wanted on offense. As a result Darcy Kuemper was extremely busy, facing 46 shots.
Ville Husso was cool & collected through the 1st 2 periods, however the Wings defense broke down in the 3rd, putting a lot of pressure on the Finn.
Fredrik Larsson & Filip Zadina led the way for Detroit, both players picking up a goal & 2 assists each.
The series now heads to Boston for game 3. The Bruins will be under pressure to perform there now that they have dropped the 1st 2 on the road.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 3 - 29th April, Detroit @ Boston

The Red Wings move one win away from a series sweep, with tonight’s 4-1 victory over Boston in game 3 at TD Garden.
After going into the 1st intermission tied at 1-1, the Red Wings broke loose in the 2nd with Larsson scoring from a nicely timed Claude Giroux pass, putting the visitors up 2-1.
During the 3rd Period, Larsson then nailed his 2nd goal off a blazing slap shot that gave Darcy Kuemper very little chance of stopping. Finally, with the Bruins electing to pull Kuemper, Joe Veleno broke away to score the Wings 4th into an empty net.
Filip Zadina is having a great series, tonight the talented winger scored the game’s 1st goal plus tallied an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game Pics – See Inside Spoiler

Griffins News....
Game 4 - 1st May, Detroit @ Boston

Boston keeps the series alive with a 3-1 victory in game 4 over Detroit.
The Bruins were successful in shutting down the Wings offense, with the only blemish in the final period, when Evgeny Svechnikov scored to get the visitors within 1.
The Bruins played well & largely outplayed their guests, outshooting the Wings 35 to 24. David Pastrnak scored the game’s 1st, followed by Rick Nash. Finally Jujhar Khaira scored with 4:57 remaining in the 3rd to put the result beyond doubt.
The series gets a breath of life & we now head back to Detroit for game 5 at Little Caesars Arena.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 5 - 3rd May, Boston @ Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings advance to their 2nd consecutive Eastern Conference Final after a 4-1 victory in game 5, eliminating the Boston Bruins.
The game got off to a fiery start. During the 1st period, not long after a Danny Dekeyser goal, putting Boston in front, there were 2 fights only minutes apart, seeing the penalty box loaded with players from both sides.
Anthony Mantha notched a goal late in the same period to tie the game & to get the Red Wings engine started.
From there the Bruins could not stay out of the penalty box which all but de-railed their hopes in pushing the series into a game 6.
During the 2nd period, the Bruins were called on a number of minor penalties which plagued their ability to get a good offensive flow going & it all but de-railed their hopes in pushing the series into a game 6. Andreas Athanasiou scored off a rebound, followed by a Filip Zadina goal, who is on a real hot streak during the playoffs to date.
The final period nearly went scoreless, until a perfectly timed pass from Claude Giroux to Fredrik Larsson, saw the Swede get a brilliant one-timer goal.
The Red Wings have finished another series in 5 games. They do not have to wait around to find out who their next opponent is, with the Carolina Hurricanes dispatching the Columbus Blue Jackets in their 2nd consecutive series sweep, eliminating Metropolitan Division champs Pittsburgh in the 1st round. Not bad for a team that qualified as a Wild Card!
3 Stars of the Game:

Game Pics - See Inside:

Series Wrap Up:
The Red Wings go from strength to strength as the playoffs move deeper. Boston were good, but thankfully, we were better.
We had a good run with injury this round with none of our players missing game time aside from Josi who we lost last round & the team have been able to adjust well without him.
To date, Filip Zadina has been perhaps the most impressive throughout these 10 playoffs games. He currently sits 2nd in team scoring with 5 goals & 5 assists & has been a real presence on the ice. I’m really happy to see him stand up & be counted, as I really don’t believe he has fully lived up to his potential.
Next round we take on the Carolina Hurricanes (44-27-11), who have completely surprised the competition during the playoffs. The Canes finished the season as the 2nd Wild Card & have swept the Pittsburgh Pengiuns in 4, then done exactly the same to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2nd round. We need to be weary of this team & not underestimate them, we don’t want to be the 3rd team they wipe the floor with.
Injury Update:
16th April – D Roman Josi – Post Concussion Syndrome – Out for rest of Season
Projected Line-up for Game 1 – Detroit vs Colorado:
Detroit Red Wings Players/Goalie Stats:
Western Conference Notes:
Minnesota Wild come back from a 3-2 series deficit & defeat 2nd Wild Card San Jose Sharks in 7 games.
Edmonton Oilers just manage to hold on after nearly sweeping the series, winning the 1st 3 games, then letting 1st Wild Card Dallas, back in the door until closing it out with a 4-3 series win.
Eastern Conference Notes:
Carolina Hurricanes have taken the playoffs by storm, winning 8 games in a row to sweep their 2nd consecutive opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Detroit Red Wings move one step closer to a successful championship defense with a convincing 4-1 series win over Boston Bruins.
Playoffs - Stats Leaders after the 2nd Round:

San Jose Barracuda claim the Pacific division with a 4-1 series win over 1st placed Tucson
Grand Rapids have come back from a 3-1 series deficit, romping home to a 4-3 series victory over the Texas Stars to gain entry to the Western Conference Final.
Hartford Wolf Pack done their Championship defense plenty of help with a close shave 4-3 series victory over Charlotte Checkers.
Cleveland Monsters, another recent Calder Cup champion has made it through to the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-2 series victory over Utica.
Spoiler

Spoiler

Series Results:
Game 1: BOS 2 @ DET 3 - W
Game 2: BOS 4 @ DET 6 - W
Game 3: DET 4 @ BOS 1 - W
Game 4: DET 1 @ BOS 3 - L
Game 5: BOS 1 @ DET 4 - W
Detroit Red Wings win the Series 4-1
Game 1: BOS 2 @ DET 3 - W
Game 2: BOS 4 @ DET 6 - W
Game 3: DET 4 @ BOS 1 - W
Game 4: DET 1 @ BOS 3 - L
Game 5: BOS 1 @ DET 4 - W
Detroit Red Wings win the Series 4-1
The Detroit Red Wings move one step closer to a successful Stanley Cup Championship defense after eliminating the Boston Bruins in 5 games.
Game Results, News & Team Updates::
Spoiler
Game 1 - 25th April, Boston @ Detroit

Detroit fight back from a 2-0 deficit to take game 1 with a 3-2 victory over Boston.
The Red Wings were blown away early by a spectacular display put on by Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, scoring twice for the visitors by mid-way through the 1st period.
Filip Zadina began the rally for Detroit, scoring late in the 1st giving the home side some hope with the score set at 2-1.
The 2nd period nearly went without score until with 3:26 remaining, Claude Giroux scored his 3rd for the playoffs to tie the game. Then with only 29 seconds remaining in the same period, Kirby Dach nailed the go-ahead goal, nearly bringing Little Caesars Arena’s roof down as the crowd showed their appreciation.
Dach’s late 2nd period goal would later be deemed the game-winner for the Wings, with no further score in the final period, giving the Red Wings the perfect start to the series.
Dach & Zadina complimented each other well on the 2nd line, both scoring a goal & tallying an assist to each other’s major.
Husso was also promising in net. The Finnish net minder completing the game with 30 saves.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 2 - 27th April, Boston @ Detroit

The Red Wings do what all teams with the home-ice advantage want in the playoffs - that’s to win the first two games at home. They do so, but only just, as the Wings hold on to win 6-4 over the Bruins in game 2.
The Red Wings practically had the game locked away after the 1st 2 periods with the score sitting at 4-0 in their favour. The Bruins had other ideas, scoring the next 3 goals within the 1st 8 minutes of the period bringing them right back into the game, until Tyler Bertuzzi steadied the ship with a scrappy goal in front of net to make the score 5-3.
The Bruins kept coming & with 3:32 remaining, Bruins’ Ryan Donato scored the visitors 4th, reducing the lead back to 1, keeping all fans in the arena glued to their seats to watch the final minutes.
The Bruins went for broke in the final 1:20 pulling Darcy Kuemper, however the move backfired & Anthony Mantha scored the Red Wings 6th with 0:52 remaining , which finally sealed the deal.
Penalties played a huge part in the Bruins demise in the early parts of the game, consuming 24 penalty minutes which gave the Wings too much space & freedom to do what they wanted on offense. As a result Darcy Kuemper was extremely busy, facing 46 shots.
Ville Husso was cool & collected through the 1st 2 periods, however the Wings defense broke down in the 3rd, putting a lot of pressure on the Finn.
Fredrik Larsson & Filip Zadina led the way for Detroit, both players picking up a goal & 2 assists each.
The series now heads to Boston for game 3. The Bruins will be under pressure to perform there now that they have dropped the 1st 2 on the road.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 3 - 29th April, Detroit @ Boston

The Red Wings move one win away from a series sweep, with tonight’s 4-1 victory over Boston in game 3 at TD Garden.
After going into the 1st intermission tied at 1-1, the Red Wings broke loose in the 2nd with Larsson scoring from a nicely timed Claude Giroux pass, putting the visitors up 2-1.
During the 3rd Period, Larsson then nailed his 2nd goal off a blazing slap shot that gave Darcy Kuemper very little chance of stopping. Finally, with the Bruins electing to pull Kuemper, Joe Veleno broke away to score the Wings 4th into an empty net.
Filip Zadina is having a great series, tonight the talented winger scored the game’s 1st goal plus tallied an assist.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game Pics – See Inside Spoiler

Griffins News....

Boston keeps the series alive with a 3-1 victory in game 4 over Detroit.
The Bruins were successful in shutting down the Wings offense, with the only blemish in the final period, when Evgeny Svechnikov scored to get the visitors within 1.
The Bruins played well & largely outplayed their guests, outshooting the Wings 35 to 24. David Pastrnak scored the game’s 1st, followed by Rick Nash. Finally Jujhar Khaira scored with 4:57 remaining in the 3rd to put the result beyond doubt.
The series gets a breath of life & we now head back to Detroit for game 5 at Little Caesars Arena.
3 Stars of the Game:

Game 5 - 3rd May, Boston @ Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings advance to their 2nd consecutive Eastern Conference Final after a 4-1 victory in game 5, eliminating the Boston Bruins.
The game got off to a fiery start. During the 1st period, not long after a Danny Dekeyser goal, putting Boston in front, there were 2 fights only minutes apart, seeing the penalty box loaded with players from both sides.
Anthony Mantha notched a goal late in the same period to tie the game & to get the Red Wings engine started.
From there the Bruins could not stay out of the penalty box which all but de-railed their hopes in pushing the series into a game 6.
During the 2nd period, the Bruins were called on a number of minor penalties which plagued their ability to get a good offensive flow going & it all but de-railed their hopes in pushing the series into a game 6. Andreas Athanasiou scored off a rebound, followed by a Filip Zadina goal, who is on a real hot streak during the playoffs to date.
The final period nearly went scoreless, until a perfectly timed pass from Claude Giroux to Fredrik Larsson, saw the Swede get a brilliant one-timer goal.
The Red Wings have finished another series in 5 games. They do not have to wait around to find out who their next opponent is, with the Carolina Hurricanes dispatching the Columbus Blue Jackets in their 2nd consecutive series sweep, eliminating Metropolitan Division champs Pittsburgh in the 1st round. Not bad for a team that qualified as a Wild Card!
3 Stars of the Game:

Game Pics - See Inside:

Series Wrap Up:
The Red Wings go from strength to strength as the playoffs move deeper. Boston were good, but thankfully, we were better.
We had a good run with injury this round with none of our players missing game time aside from Josi who we lost last round & the team have been able to adjust well without him.
To date, Filip Zadina has been perhaps the most impressive throughout these 10 playoffs games. He currently sits 2nd in team scoring with 5 goals & 5 assists & has been a real presence on the ice. I’m really happy to see him stand up & be counted, as I really don’t believe he has fully lived up to his potential.
Next round we take on the Carolina Hurricanes (44-27-11), who have completely surprised the competition during the playoffs. The Canes finished the season as the 2nd Wild Card & have swept the Pittsburgh Pengiuns in 4, then done exactly the same to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2nd round. We need to be weary of this team & not underestimate them, we don’t want to be the 3rd team they wipe the floor with.
Injury Update:
16th April – D Roman Josi – Post Concussion Syndrome – Out for rest of Season
Projected Line-up for Game 1 – Detroit vs Colorado:
Detroit Red Wings Players/Goalie Stats:
Spoiler

Western Conference Notes:
Minnesota Wild come back from a 3-2 series deficit & defeat 2nd Wild Card San Jose Sharks in 7 games.
Edmonton Oilers just manage to hold on after nearly sweeping the series, winning the 1st 3 games, then letting 1st Wild Card Dallas, back in the door until closing it out with a 4-3 series win.
Eastern Conference Notes:
Carolina Hurricanes have taken the playoffs by storm, winning 8 games in a row to sweep their 2nd consecutive opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Detroit Red Wings move one step closer to a successful championship defense with a convincing 4-1 series win over Boston Bruins.
Playoffs - Stats Leaders after the 2nd Round:
Spoiler

San Jose Barracuda claim the Pacific division with a 4-1 series win over 1st placed Tucson
Grand Rapids have come back from a 3-1 series deficit, romping home to a 4-3 series victory over the Texas Stars to gain entry to the Western Conference Final.
Hartford Wolf Pack done their Championship defense plenty of help with a close shave 4-3 series victory over Charlotte Checkers.
Cleveland Monsters, another recent Calder Cup champion has made it through to the Eastern Conference Final with a 4-2 series victory over Utica.
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