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 Center Riley Sheahan scored with 3:44 to play, giving the Red Wings
a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night in front of a
sellout crowd of 17,174 at the Honda Center.
Left winger Tomas Tatar had a goal in the opening seconds, and
goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 30 shots to earn his fourth consecutive
win for the Red Wings, who have won four successive games for their
longest stretch of success this season.
"We really worked hard to get them," Sheahan said. "When you can get
wins like this in close games, that builds your confidence. It's
huge for us."
During those four games, five of the nine Detroit players who scored
goals had less than 10 for the season.
Right winger Corey Perry contributed his 16th goal for the Ducks,
who sustained their second loss in three games despite having shots
hit the goal posts three times.
"I give my guys credit for skating with them and getting better
chances," Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We just haven't been
finishing, and that's been going on all season long."
Sheahan broke a 1-1 tie after creating the turnover that resulted in
his goal.
While Sheahan was checking Ryan Getzlaf from behind, the Anaheim
center lost the puck. Detroit rookie right winger Dylan Larkin
retrieved and passed to Sheahan from the left circle. Sheahan
one-timed a shot from the slot past goalie John Gibson for his
seventh goal.
"The puck was rolling a little bit, so I tried to control it, even
though I saw him coming," Getzlaf said in reference to Sheahan.
"When I tried to protect it, it got away from me and would up in the
back of the net. I can't do things like that, especially at times
like this."
Larkin sensed what was coming.
"I felt Getzlaf coming pretty hard and I knew that 'Shea" was
following him," Larkin said of Sheahan. "I knew he was going to be
there. I just threw it on his stick and 'Shea' was ready."
The Ducks replaced Gibson with an extra attacker for the final 1:58
but Mrazek made three saves while Anaheim had that one-man advantage
to secure the victory.
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"Petr was a big factor in the win," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill
said. "When we gave up chances, he made big saves. That's what he's
done over this stretch of games, for sure."
The Red Wings (22-13-7) needed only 16 seconds to begin the scoring.
Stationed at the right post, Tatar received center Pavel Datsyuk's
pass from the right boards and sent the puck to right winger Darren
Helm in front of the crease. However, Ducks defenseman Hampus
Lindholm deflected the puck under Gibson's left leg, and Tatar
received credit for his 13th goal.
Detroit did not concede a shot on goal in the first 10 minutes, but
the Ducks (17-17-7) used their second shot to tie the score. Getzlaf
backhanded a pass from the right corner to Perry, who flipped the
puck from the right post over Mrazek's right shoulder at 13:35 of
the first period for his sixth goal in nine games.
Gibson finished with 22 saves.
NOTES: Detroit scratched C Joakim Andersson and D Jakub Kindl, who
cleared waivers after being waived Saturday. ... Red Wings D Kyle
Quincey (ankle surgery) sat out Sunday, but he is expected to play
Monday night in Los Angeles against the Kings after being activated
from injured reserve. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer and
LW Patrick Maroon. ... Ducks D Simon Depres returned to practice
Saturday for the first time since sustaining a concussion Oct. 16
against the Colorado Avalanche. However, he remained out Sunday
night. ... Anaheim was one of eight teams that dispatched scouts to
Rochester, N.Y., to see LW Jonathan Drouin play for AHL Syracuse on
Saturday night. Drouin asked to be traded after the Tampa Bay
Lightning demoted him Jan. 2.
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