After the Detroit Red Wings’ nail-biting 4-3 win last night against the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL will have to add a name to its’ record book. Look up the longest home winning streak in league history and a picture of the 2011-2012 Red Wings will now be there.
The Wings join the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1975-76 Flyers as the only teams to ever win 20 consecutive games at home.
How ironic that Detroit got the job done against the team who last achieved the very same feat.
Philadelphia looked like a team who was indeed defending their franchise’s record. The Flyers matched the Red Wings’ intensity all game, but Detroit’s fast skating and bruising hits proved too much for Philly to handle.
“We definitely wanted to keep them from tying the record,” Flyers wing Scott Hartnell said. “We’re all disappointed about that.”
The Flyers shouldn’t be disappointed with their effort, but penalties plagued the team throughout the game. Philadelphia finished with 12 penalty minutes and conceded two power play goals. The difference turned out to be Detroit’s power play, a unit that tallied two nice goals (and scored another just seconds after the man advantage expired) and looked good all night with a few exceptions.
If the Wings’ power play continues to heat up, look out for them to get really dangerous in the upcoming months leading up to the playoffs. There is no better power play team in the
The Joe Louis Arena crowd solutes Lidstrom for playing in his 1,550th career game
NHL if the Red Wings get it going.
Detroit’s star centerman Pavel Datsyuk was once again brilliant, scoring his 15th goal on one of the Wings’ power plays. Datsyuk now leads the team with 56 points, and if he gets in a goal scoring groove, look out. Pavel can do things with the puck that draw gasps from the crowd almost every game, and combine his puck skills with the goal scoring ability he showed last night, and you get one of the best players on the ice right now.
Johan Franzen scored the game-winner for Detroit just 52 seconds into the third period. For Franzen, it is his 10th game-winning goal of the season, tied for best in the league.
“I think the fans had a lot to do with it,” Franzen said. “It was a really great atmosphere out there tonight- it was like playing in the playoffs. We have to thank them for giving us the extra energy we needed.”
The Red Wings are still without their All-Star goaltender Jimmy Howard, who they expect will return to action on Friday against Nashville. However, in Howard’s absence, backup Joey MacDonald has been outstanding, going 3-1 and allowing three goals just once (last night). MacDonald has been a big reason Detroit has been able to tie this record, and deserves a big chunk of the praise.
MacDonald and the rest of the Wings now look ahead to Tuesday’s contest against the Dallas Stars, a game where they will look to do what no NHL team has ever done before- win 21 straight at home.
Oh by the way: Captain Nicklas Lidstrom played in his 1,550th career game as a Red Wing, making him the all-time leader in games played with a single franchise. He assisted on the game winning goal and was named first star of the game.
What to watch for
The Red Wings will break an all-time NHL record with a win at home against Dallas on Tuesday
Upcoming schedule
Tuesday vs Dallas (7:30pm, FSD+)
Friday vs Nashville (7:30pm, FSD+, NHLN)
Sunday vs San Jose (12:30pm, NBC)
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