In a thrilling showdown, Lucas Raymond‘s incredible goal in the final seconds helped the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday evening. Jonatan Berggren’s crucial equalizer also played a pivotal role in breaking Detroit’s run of three consecutive losses. The Red Wings’ goaltender, Alex Lyon, displayed a remarkable performance with 22 saves.
For the Islanders, the only ray of hope came from Simon Holmstrom, who managed to score the sole goal for his team, unable to reverse their pattern of losses with five out of their last six games ending in defeat. Despite a valiant effort with 29 saves, Islanders’ goalie Ilya Sorokin couldn’t prevent the defeat.
The Turning Points of the Game
Holmstrom sparked the Islanders’ spirits by scoring the first goal of the match at 5:51 of the first period, marking his third goal of the season. However, Berggren, with just 4:46 left in the game, managed to level the score with his third goal of the season. The decisive moment came when Raymond, with a skillful assist from Dylan Larkin, netted the puck from the left circle, beating Sorokin’s glove with just 51 seconds to spare.
Key Takeaways from the Game
The Islanders, despite having the league’s worst penalty-kill entering the game, successfully thwarted three power plays from the Red Wings, who boast the second-best power play in the league. Sorokin was instrumental in this, making six crucial saves.
In contrast, Raymond, who had an impressive tally of 31 goals last season, ended his scoring drought with a game-winning goal in the final minute, providing a much-needed boost to the Red Wings.
Flashback and Key Statistics
Recalling the teams’ first encounter last month, which saw the Red Wings triumph with a 1-0 victory thanks to Patrick Kane’s first-period goal, it seemed history might repeat itself with Holmstrom’s early goal. However, the Red Wings turned the tide with two goals in the final five minutes of the game.
A noteworthy stat from the game revolves around the Red Wings’ knack for comebacks last season, boasting an 11-24-3 record when trailing after two periods. This season, however, they had a 0-8-0 record when down after two periods, a statistic they managed to overturn with their late rally in this game.
What’s Next for the Teams?
Looking forward, the Islanders will be hosting St. Louis on Saturday, while the Red Wings will welcome Boston to their home ground.
