Red Wings edge Blue Jackets in shootout

DETROIT --Riley Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou scored in the shootout to give the Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday.
Sheahan scored and Petr Mrazek made 28 saves for Detroit (30-20-11), which ended a four-game losing streak (0-2-2). Mrazek denied Cam Atkinson and Alex Wennberg in the shootout.

"It's a big two points," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "Coming off of four games where we weren't able to get a win -- obviously we had points in the last two -- but at home here, we needed the two points. We're at that point of the season, you've got to find a way, and we found a way."
It was the first time Blashill used Sheahan or Athanasiou in a shootout this season. Sheahan scored once on three previous attempts; Athanasiou is a rookie.
"Sheahan hasn't taken many shootouts, but his numbers are pretty good," Blashill said. "We've obviously gone with the guys who have the best numbers historically and recently and in recent years, but it hasn't worked. It was a bit of a hunch.
"Sheahan had scored on the breakaway earlier. Athanasiou, I know, is a real, good shootout guy, having had him in (AHL) Grand Rapids."

Boone Jenner scored for Columbus (24-29-8). Curtis McElhinney made 27 saves.
"I have absolutely no complaints about the way we played. I thought that we were the better team in the third period," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "The thing that came back to bite us was that we had so many odd-man opportunities where we wound up not even getting a shot."
Sheahan's shorthanded goal with 6:01 left in the second period tied the game 1-1. Sheahan scored on a breakaway by beating McElhinney low on the stick side. It was Sheahan's first goal in 18 games and the Red Wings' first shorthanded goal of the season. They were the last team in the NHL to get a shorthanded goal.

"[Marchenko] made a great play there at the (Detroit blue) line," Sheahan said. "He does a great job of breaking up plays like that. He just put it into space and I had a step on the guy and saw the lane and got a fortunate bounce. Their player slashed me at the last second and I kind of fanned on it actually, but luckily it went in."
Jenner gave Columbus a 1-0 lead with 1:42 left in the first period. His shot from the left circle got between Mrazek's arm and body on the short side. It was Jenner's third goal in two games and fifth in the past five.
"I'm proud of the way everybody played," McElhinney said. "I thought we played a real solid game."