Red Wings edge Blackhawks 4-3, end six-game slide

Comment on this story

COMMENTARY

DETROIT — Dominik Kubalik scored the go-ahead goal with 4:07 left and the Detroit Red Wings snapped a six-game hitting streak with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

Jake Walman, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond also scored for Detroit. Ville Husso made 39 saves.

Kubalik’s goal was especially satisfying because he played his first three seasons with the Blackhawks. He signed with Detroit as a free agent before this season.

“You always want to beat the old team,” he said. “The team is different, obviously, after a lot of exchanges. There aren’t many guys left that I know, but you always want to play well against them and score or something.”

The Red Wings had gone 0-5-1 after getting into position for a vacancy.

“I really liked it,” coach Derek Lalonde said of his team’s performance. “The message afterwards was that we talked about not giving up on the season or feeling sorry for ourselves in the season. That was a perfect example (with) today’s game. … Our guys just kept pushing and found a way. “

Taylor Raddysh scored twice and Joey Anderson also scored for Chicago. Alex Stalock stopped 15 shots.

“I thought it was a really slow game for us early on, except for our goalie,” Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said.

Raddysh scored his first goal of the game with a pass from Lukas Reichel.

Raddysh’s 16th goal of the season came after Detroit turned the ball over in its own zone. He hit a shot from the right circle that beat Husso to the short side. Cole Guttman recorded his first career assist in the game.

Larkin was awarded a penalty in the final minute of the period when Blackhawks defenseman Caleb Jones covered the puck in the crease. Larkin tried to beat Stalock with a low shot, but Stalock made the save.

Walman scored his seventh goal early in the second to cut Chicago’s lead to 2-1. Walman’s shot from the point deflected off a defender’s stick and over Stalock’s left shoulder.

Larkin tied the game late in the period on a power play. Alex Chiasson set up Larkin’s 24th goal with a wonderful pass between the legs.

Chiasson, who had two assists, had been playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League before signing an NHL contract last week.

“It’s a special night, playing in this building with the jersey and everything, the first game at home,” he said. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster the last two days. Obviously, the win tonight is kind of the cherry on top.”

Anderson’s third goal gave Chicago a 3-2 lead at 6:10 of the third. After Jujhar Khaira won a faceoff in the Red Wings zone, Anderson fired a shot from the left side that eluded Husso’s glove.

Raymond scored for the first time since January 21st to tie the game at 3. He beat Robert Hagg from the point at 12:35.

Kubalik scored the decisive goal, his 18th, as Detroit won a tie in the Chicago zone. He beat Stalock on the glove side with a right side shot.

“I didn’t feel like we had the jump we needed all night. We were soft in all areas and we shouldn’t play like this now”, said Raddysh.

Chicago D Andreas Englund, who injured his hamstring against Ottawa on Monday, was inactive. … Detroit RW Robby Fabbri suffered a lower-body injury in the first half and did not return. … Larkin has 23 power-play points this season. … Chiarot recorded his 100th career assist on Raymond’s goal. … The Red Wings’ win was just their fifth in the last 17 meetings with the Blackhawks.

Blackhawks: Visit Florida on Friday.

Red Wings: Play a home-and-home set against the NHL-leading Bruins, starting with a road game Saturday afternoon.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports