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Hockey is officially back for the Detroit Red Wings, who wrapped up Training Camp this week, and opened the abbreviated preseason schedule with a Monday evening matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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With a lineup consisting largely of young players competing for roster spots, the Red Wings fell 1-0 to the Blue Jackets in a shootout at Nationwide Arena.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Nate Danielson, and John Leonard were all denied by Blue Jackets goaltender Pheonix Copley in the shootout following a scoreless overtime.
The only puck that entered the net in the entire contest was courtesy of Columbus forward Conor Garland, who beat Michal Postava with a blocker-side shot.
Goaltender Daniil Tarasov, whom the Red Wings signed to a one-year contract earlier in the summer, played the first 40 minutes of the night and turned aside all 15 shots he faced; he was replaced as planned for the third period by Postava.
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Meanwhile, Jet Greaves stopped all 16 Detroit shots for Columbus before giving way in the third to Copley.
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Notably, Postava channeled his inner Dominik Hasek late in the third period when he raced well beyond the slot to corral the puck, colliding with Blue Jackets forward Josh Eernisse and sending him flying head over heels in a near carbon copy of a December 2007 play involving the Hall of Fame goaltender and Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik.
The Red Wings registered 11 shots in the first period but managed just five in the second and two in the third; they didn’t record a shot during the five-minute overtime.
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While Detroit went scoreless in three power-play opportunities, they killed off all five Columbus chances with the man-advantage.
Among the Red Wings regulars who saw action were J.T. Compher, Michael Rasmussen, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Keegan Kolesar; Rasmussen led all Red Wings players with five shots.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and John Leonard had two shots each. Meanwhile, Dominik Shine and Kienan Draper each picked up five-minute fighting majors.
Detroit will be right back in action Tuesday night when it visits the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena; their first home preseason game will be Thursday against the divisional rival Buffalo Sabres.
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