Berggren Lifts Red Wings To Dramatic Victory

Before the first road game under his stewardship, Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan told reporters he was meeting his new team for the second time: "Just like it was when we arrived in Detroit, we had to figure everything out at home, and now we're gonna do that on the road.  I don't know how the team will get out of the gate.  I'm not sure what their preparation routine has been.  I don't know how they react to a full skate or an optional skate.  I'm not sure what their practice habits will be like on the road.  And we're gonna find that out on this trip."

On Thursday night in Columbus, the Red Wings appeared to figure things out in a hurry, scoring three first period goals on the way, only to take a wandering path to a chaotic 5-4 victory over the Blue Jackets, extending their winning streak to three games on a late Jonatan Berggren breakaway strike.

Columbus nabbed the first goal—James van Riemsdyk on the power play, just 2:42 on from puck drop—but that early stumble Detroit's momentum.  Patrick Kane tied it four minutes later, before Erik Gustafsson scored his first goal as a Red Wing at the 14:39 mark to give the Red Wings the lead.  It was a cathartic goal for Gustafsson, who glided in to tee up a perfectly placed slap shot beneath the crossbar then looked up to the sky with relief, having not found the back of the net in his first 29 games of his first season with Detroit.  Alex DeBrincat extended the lead to 3-1 on the power play, and it appeared the Red Wings were on the way to a comfortable victory.

However, Detroit gave back that lead in the second period, with Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan making it 3-3 heading into the third, only for Dylan Larkin to put the Red Wings back in front on the power play 4:54 into the third.  The Detroit captain jumped for joy at the 4–3 lead and his first non–empty net goal since Nov. 25.

That margin nearly held to the final horn, but instead the Jackets clawed back even via van Riemsdyk's second of the night with 2:41 left in the third.  McLellan challenged the goal unsuccessfully, putting Columbus to the power play.  However, instead of riding their momentum, the Blue Jackets allowed the power play to swing the game one more time in the opposite direction.

The Red Wings killed the penalty, and as it expired, a diving Tyler Motte swatted the puck through to send Jonatan Berggren—stepping out of the box, having served the two-minute minor—in for a breakaway.  Berggren scored his second breakaway in as many games with just 35 seconds left in regulation.  Detroit held on for a 5–4 victory, with Cam Talbot making 19 saves to backstop the victory.

In the end, it was messy, but unequivocally, the Red Wings figured out a way to win, and that's what mattered most for a team in dire need of stockpiling points, a team that will now travel to Winnipeg for Saturday's game with the Jets having taking six of its last possible six.

Related: Ex-Red Wings Goalie Hits Big Rough Patch

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