Wings beat Flyers 5-2 as power play wakes up

The Red Wings were coming off back to back losses in which they were out played and outworked in each game.  That obviously didn't sit well with Mike Babcock and he made some line up changes going into the game Saturday night with the Flyers, looking for improved effort from his team.  Lets break down the action in each period:

First period: 
Bertuzzi was moved up to the first line not as punishment to Abdelkader but to help the second line of Weiss and Franzen get going.  Alfredsson moved down to the third line and Emmerton was replaced by Glendening, Tootoo replaced Samuelsson on the 4th line.  On defense, Lashoff replaced Brendan smith, who had been too turn over prone in the early going of the season.  Speaking of turnovers, Dekeyser drew an early penalty for hooking after turning the puck over in his own zone, sending the Flyers to the power play.  Philadelphia created only one chance, a shot from the point was deflected by a screen in front by Simmons but Howard was up to the task, helping to kill off the penalty.  The Flyers controlled the action early, continuing to throw pucks at the net from any distance but none of the shots posed any real threat to Howard.  The Red Wings got their first power play 6:49 into the first period as Raffl was called for hooking and Detroit became the last team in the NHL to score a power play goal as Kronwall entered the offensive zone with speed but the puck was knocked off his stick and ended up behind the net where Bertuzzi picked it up and wrapped it around and into the net between Emery's legs.  Howards left pad kept the Flyers at bay on consecutive stops of Brayden Schenn and Tye McGinn as Howard made reflex saves kicking the puck out of harms way.  Zetterberg had a chance breaking in on goal after Datsyuk took the puck away at center ice and fed it to Abdelkader at the near boards at the blue line who centered to the Detroit captain but the puck was poked just wide of the net.  Andersson and Alfredsson had a nice give and go before McGinn drew a tripping penalty to put the Wings back on the power play.  Zetterberg sent a rink wide pass to Alfredsson streaking in from the point and he tried to feed a wide open Bertuzzi in front of the net but the pass was just out of his reach and the Wings couldn't create any other opportunities this time, but would return to the power play with 25 seconds left in the period as Coburn drew a holding penalty.  Datsyuk had two shots that were stopped by Emery before time ran out on the period with the Wings leading 2-1.
 
Second Period:
The Detroit power play carried over from the end of the first period and Kronwall had the best chance on the man advantage but shot the puck just wide of the net off the one time pass from Zetterberg.  Read had a short handed chance when Alfredsson gave the puck away at the blue line and had to race back to prevent a better chance and Howard was there to shut the door.  Glendening, making his NHL debut out of the University of Michigan, was whistled for holding shortly after the Detroit power play had expired.  Howard was sharp and busy, making a glove save on Brayden Schenn down the wing, then stopping Schenn again on a one timed opportunity just above the circles, before blanking Raffl and Schenn one more time.  The Wings needed a good shift and they got great puck control in the offensive zone from Zetterberg who was supported by Datsyuk and Bertuzzi was able to work his way to the front of the net with the puck and draw a penalty.  The Wings took advantage with sharp passing and after 3 or 4 good chances on net, Alfredsson sent the puck across the ice to Kronwall moving in from the point and he blasted it short side over Emery's shoulder into the net for a 2-0 lead.  That lead wouldn't last long as just 43 seconds later Philadelphia would tie the game as the Flyers amped up the pressure and Howard stopped shots by Schenn and Raffl before Erik Gustafsson threw a bouncing puck at Howard from the right point and it hopped over his stick and pad and under his arm into the back of the net.  Read broke in shortly after the goal and nearly tied the game going down the left wing, backhand to forehand off the short side cross bar and over the net.  Philadelphia kept the pressure on as Sean Couturier missed over the net aiming for the far corner after he walked out from behind the net untouched in front of Howard.  Eriksson then coughed up the puck trying to break out of the zone and drew a penalty for hooking because of the turnover.  The Flyers were set up in the Detroit zone but didn't create any chances before Simmons was whistled for holding trying to keep the puck in the zone.  The 4 on 4 play was uneventful, and Datsyuk had the last chance of the period for Detroit on a 2 on 1 but the shot missed just wide, hitting the side of the net as the Wings took a 2-1 lead to the 2nd intermission.     

Third Period:
The Flyers started the third with a flurry of good chances, the first by Nicklas Grossmann but Howard was in position for the save.  The Flyers set up after a faceoff win in the Detroit zone and the puck was thrown off the end boards and bounced right out front to Simmons who's shot was stopped by Howard off of his left arm and Lashoff did a great job at the side of the net tying up Raffl, not allowing him to slam the puck into the open net as it continued to bounce around and Simmons had another attempt on goal but the puck bounced off his own player standing in the crease.  On the other end of the ice Todd Bertuzzi drew another penalty battling for the puck, a high stick grazed him from Coburn.  The Wings would again take advantage as Kronwall and Alfredsson passed the puck across the blue line before finding Datsyuk in the between the circle and he spun and back handed the puck past Emery who was screened by Bertuzzi and never saw the puck.  The Wings led 3-1 but two and a half minutes later the Flyers would bring it to a one goal game again as McGinn would backhand the puck into an open net as Howard had come out to save a slap shot from Giroux and the puck deflected off his blocker right to the open McGinn.  Kronwall made a great defensive play to break up a 2 on 1 opportunity shortly after the goal for the Flyers after Bertuzzi's errant pass at center ice led to the odd man rush.  Schenn came off the boards and drew a slashing penalty to put the flyers on the advantage with 10 minutes left in the period.  Glendening made a great read on a 2 on 1 play right in front of Howard to take the puck away as he and Miller created a 2 on 1 the other way but nothing really came of the opportunity.  Shortly after the penalty was killed off, Datsyuk skated into the offensive zone down the left wing and threw the puck back towards Zetterberg who took what appeared to be a harmless shot at Emery but he whiffed and the puck went under his glove into the net for a 4-2 Detroit lead.  The Flyers pulled emery with a faceoff in Detroit's zone and 2:11 left but the Wings never allowed the Flyers to get comfortable on the puck and eventually Zetterberg would break free on a pass from Datsyuk and fire the puck into the empty net to close the game, 5-2 Detroit. 

Game notes:

• Shots: Detroit 30, Philadelphia 34.
• Faceoffs won: Detroit 36, Philadelphia 27.
• Both teams were coming off loses to the Coyotes.
• Abdelkader had 7 more hits, leading the Wings for a 5th straight game.
• Howard was fantastic, saving 32 of 34 shots.
• Detroit was 3 for 7 on the power play, Philadelphia 0 for 4.
• The Wing have not allowed a power play goal at home this season, killing off all 13 short handed opportunities thus far.   

Up next:  The Wings travel back to Boston to take on the Bruins in a columbus day afternoon game.