Detroit Triumphs Over Anaheim in NHL Showdown

NEW YORK. You are rarely better than your last replacement in the NHL, Axel Sandin-Pellikka was reminded last night.

He scored his second goal of the rookie season as the Detroit Red Wings snapped a three-game winning streak against Leo Carlsson’s Anaheim — but was then benched for most of the third period.

– A purely coaching decision, explains boss Todd McLellan.

After a number of less successful efforts last week, the Red Wings managed to get back to their road-winning game in the home game against the Anaheim Ducks and won 6-3.

Axel Sandin-Pellika contributed greatly to the victory, because at the end of the second period he scored the goal that gave the home team the lead. The 20-year-old rookie from Gällivare sent a not-too-hard shot from the blue line, but the puck had eyes and somehow found its way straight through traffic and into the back of Lukas Dostal.

Then the youngster must have committed too many of the mistakes he had previously been so good at avoiding, because in the third period he didn’t get to play more than a few minutes.

– It was a pure coach’s decision, says coach Todd McLellan without going into the reason.

Jonathan Berggren and Lucas Raymond both responded for two assists and the latter is very pleased to finally get to celebrate a two-pointer.

– Tonight we played solid hockey in all three zones for 60 minutes and took a very big victory, he says in an interview with NHL Network.

The Ducks, on the other hand, had a seven-game winning streak cut short and at the same time Leo Carlsson went scoreless for the first time in eleven games.