Sunday’s game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs didn’t go as planned.
The Leafs, who are at the bottom of the league’s standings, went into Detroit and shut out the Red Wings, 1-0, on Sunday night.
Michael Grabner scored the only goal of the game in the final minute of the second period. The 28-year-old was hauled down while on a breakaway. The puck went off Grabner’s stick, Mrazek’s pad, off Grabner’s backside and into the net. The on-ice official initially gave the Leafs forward a penalty shot, but after review the call was changed. Good goal.
Grabner’s goal was the third play that went to video review in this game.
In the first period, Leafs forward Ben Smith thought he scored, but the referee waved off the goal after the puck hit his shoulder before going into the net.
The Red Wings thought they opened the scoring in the second period when Luke Glendening beat goaltender Jonathan Bernier. After review, the goal was called back because the Wings forward batted the puck in with his hand.
This will be a tough loss to swallow for Detroit. They came into the game tied with Pittsburgh for the first Wild Card spot in the East. At this stage of the season every point counts.
The loss means that the Red Wings are no longer in control of their own destiny, for now. The surging Flyers are just three points behind the Red Wings with two games in hand.
Toronto got an encouraging performance from Bernier, as he stopped all 38 shots he faced to record his third shutout of the season. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily at times this season.
Babcock on Bernier: "Hopefully this can be the start of him playing the way he's capable of playing & knows he can play"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) March 14, 2016