#LGRW Final: Red Wings offense keeps rolling in 5-3 win over Blackhawks

DETROIT -- Winger Evgeny Svechnikov collected a goal and an assist and Christian Djoos scored the Detroit Red Wings' first power-play goal in their last 41 tries, leading to a 5-3 win over the host Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Saturday night.

The line of Svechnikov, Valtteri Filppula (two assists) and Frans Nielsen (one goal, one assist) combined for two goals and four assists, while wingers Bobby Ryan and Darren Helm also found the back of the net. It was the first time the Red Wings scored five or more goals in consecutive games since Dec. 4 and Dec. 6, 2018.

Despite missing captain Dylan Larkin -- who will also miss Sunday's game vs. Chicago -- with an upper-body injury, the Red Wings won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill was proud of the way his team came together despite missing key players like Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, to earn the first win of the season against Chicago.
"We've talked from day one, we've got to win as a team. We're not going to win as individuals; we have to win as a hockey team," Blashill said. "We haven't won enough as a team, but we've worked as a team and our guys have worked for each other. They've competed for each other; that part I can say for sure. Obviously, when you're missing two big pieces like Dylan and Tyler, you've got to dig in, and I thought our guys dug in."

Michigan native Alex DeBrincat scored his 10th goal of the season, while Mattias Janmark and Dominik Kubalik each tallied their seventh goals for the Blackhawks in the losing effort.
Detroit got the scoring started in the first period as Ryan took a great feed from center Robby Fabbri and whipped a low shot past goaltender Malcolm Subban.

DeBrincat tied the game, 1-1, with 6:07 remaining in the second period on a breakaway, but the Red Wings answered right back. Darren Helm found himself all alone in front and beat Subban, glove side, just 16 seconds later as Detroit regained the lead, 2-1.

Later in the second period, the Red Wings capitalized on their first power-play opportunity of the game, as Djoos made a great pump-fake in the high slot and wired home a shot as the lead grew to 3-1 at the 18:27 mark. It was the first power-play goal in the past 15 games for the Wings and first on the road since Jan. 28 versus Dallas.

At 2:37 of the third period, Svechnikov was denied on a breakaway, but didn't give up on the play. He buried an ensuing rebound to score his first NHL goal since March 29, 2018, as Detroit's lead increased to 4-1.
Svechnikov has battled many different injuries in his career -- including a shoulder injury during training camp in January -- and knows what he wants to keep improving on at the NHL level.
"To keep working. Working on the little things, the details that matter on the ice," Svechnikov said. "Just getting more confidence, more feel of it better. I've only played three games, so I think it's going to come in better. Just keep working hard, keep doing the right things and playing for the team and trying to win every single game."

"He's such a good kid. He comes in every day, works so hard," Nielsen said about Svechnikov. "He deserves everything, so I'm so happy for him. Hopefully this is a little breakthrough for him so he can stick around a little bit."
After Janmark cut the lead to 4-2 just two minutes later, Nielsen chipped one over the shoulder of Subban off the feed from Svechnikov to wrap up the scoring for the Red Wings.
Goalie Jonathan Bernier made 33 saves for his sixth win of the season and third in his last four starts. One of his best saves of the night came when he robbed Patrick Kane of his 400th NHL goal with a glove save in the third period.

The Red Wings will look to complete the sweep of the two-game series against the Blackhawks on Sunday night at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on television nationally on NBCSN and pregame coverage on the Red Wings Radio Network will begin at 6:45 p.m. ET.