EAST LANSING- Downtown Detroit last night marked the beginning of the 98th Detroit Red Wings hockey season.
The night was filled with optimism and hope as the Tigers tried to close out the ALDS against the Guardians just down the street and the Detroit Red Wings were taking on old Stanley Cup rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
Puck drop began at 8 o’clock with Hockeytown buzzing for a new season of Red Wings hockey.
The Red Wings would only take 3:46 into the game to get the first goal of the season from Alex DeBrincat with assists from Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.
DeBrincat fired off the feed from Raymond into the top right corner to give the Red Wings the lead to start the game.
This would be the only lead for the Red Wings throughout the game. Shortly after the Red Wings took the lead, the Penguins would strike with a goal from Anthony Beauvillier with assists from captain Sidney Crosby and Jesse Puljujarvi.
Beauvillier would throw the puck in front of the net with the puck bouncing off Ben Chiarot into the open net.
The game would go into the locker room all tied up at one with each team looking for a spark to take the lead.
Pittsburgh would be the one to find that spark in the locker room coming out and scoring 3 goals in the 2nd period’s first five and a half minutes.
Goals from Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O’Connor, and Marcus Petterson with assists from Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson, and Marcus Petterson on all three goals to allow the Penguins to take a 4-1 lead.
This offensive barrage from Pittsburgh would lead head coach Derek Lalonde to make a change in net from Villie Husso to newcomer Cam Talbot. Villie Husso was struggling in the net and not seeing the puck well early into the 2nd period.
Initially, this change offered a spark to the Red Wings as a power play was ending for Detroit, star forward Vladimir Tarasenko would find the net with assists from Moritz Seider and Alex DeBrincat at 8:28 left in the second period.
The Red Wings would go into the locker room down by two goals but with a spark and a chance to pull off a classic comeback that Wings fans have been accustomed to with this team.
All hope for a comeback would be extinguished with a power play goal from Pittsburgh in the third period on the Simon Edvinsson interference penalty.
Erik Karlsson would score the goal with assists on the goal from Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin one minute and 42 seconds into the period.
Detroit would get one back with another power-play goal from Alex DeBrincat with assists from Erik Gustafsson and Lucas Raymond.
The goal coming 8:13 into the period would give some hope to Hockeytown, however, Kevin Hayes and the Penguins had other ideas as he would score 4 minutes later with assists from Cody Glass and Noel Acciari.
The game would effectively be iced from that point on out as the final score would be 6-3 in favor of the Penguins.
What could have been a dream night for downtown Detroit, turned into a sad night with the Tigers coming up short against the Guardians and the Red Wings struggling against the Penguins.
The issues that plagued the Red Wings last season seemed to still be there with question marks over the defense and goalie situation.
It is only game one, however, if the Red Wings do not figure it out soon Hockeytown will become restless as they are waiting for the 8-year playoff drought to end.
The Red Wings start 0-1-0 and they wait for the Nashville Predators to come to Little Ceasars Arena on Saturday.
