Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Burrows, Canucks end Red Wings’ streak at 23 in shootout

Vancouver Canucks v Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT,MI - DECEMBER 22: of the Vancouver Canucks skates in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on December 22,2010 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Claus Andersen

The biggest critique of the Detroit Red Wings’ record-breaking home winning streak is that it was bolstered by shootout wins. With that beef in mind, it only makes sense that the skills competition ended what it seemingly extended, as the Vancouver Canucks topped them 4-3 (SO).

Detroit held three one-goal leads on Thursday but Vancouver fought back each time. Daniel Sedin had two of those tallies, with his game-tying one being the most dramatic. Justin Abdelkader made it 3-2 with a bit more than 6 minutes left but Sedin knotted it up with just 16 seconds remaining.

To the chagrin of many Red Wings fans, the shootout was decided by an Alex Burrows winner, who celebrated by pretending to break his stick over his knee. (That’s straight-up metaphorical, folks.) Burrows was the only guy who managed to beat either netminder in the shootout.

Interesting nugget: the highest number of PHT readers tabbed this contest as the one that would end the Red Wings’ streak.

One other side thought: will some pundits question Mike Babcock’s decision not to start Joey MacDonald, who was on quite the streak to help the Red Wings finish the feat in the first place? It’s a pretty dopey thing to ask, but I’d wager that sentiment is floating around somewhere.

Ultimately, the streak had to end. It wasn’t all bad news for Detroit as they at least got a charity point for their troubles while Kyle Quincey scored in his Red Wings debut. Still, plenty of fans will wonder “How long could have it gone if Sedin didn’t score that goal?”

[vodpod id=Video.16132121&w=425&h=350&fv=hlg%3D20112012%2C2%2C902%26amp%3Bserver%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fvideo.nhl.com%2Fvideocenter%2F%26amp%3Bpageurl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fvideo.nhl.com%2Fvideocenter%2F%26amp%3Bnlwa%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fapp2.neulion.com%2Fvideocenter%2Fnhl%2F]