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It’s not probable. The top team in the league comes into Detroit with 80 points to Detroit’s 28. The Bruins outshoot Detroit 40 to 20 (after Detroit was outshot 44 to 16 by CBJ) and still Detroit comes out with a 3-1 win (1 empty net). Further improbability saw Brendan Perlini score his first tally since last April. Athanasiou scored his first (and second) goals in 20 games.

I say not “probable” because, somehow, Detroit seems to be winning games against Boston (commentators mentioned this was the 5th straight) and so “impossible” is no longer appropriate. So, what on earth is happening here?it’s a shock to the system for many.

First, and foremost, Bernier was outstanding. His play of late has been a literal bomb shelter as Detroit’s end of the ice has become a virtual shooting range. Our goaltenders are seeing more rubber than Belle Tire during construction season. But, they are more than holding up their end of the deal. It is hard to imagine that Yzerman won’t get at least 1 or 2 inquiries regarding Bernier in the next 2 weeks. His performance has been eye opening.

Detroit now has their 14th win of the season. The number sticks out because it was the number of Goals Ovechkin scored in 7 games recently. Ah, irony. Still, it is good to see Perlini and Athanasiou get on the board. I expect to see more players upping their numbers as the season heads to a merciful end. Athanasiou, though, had several good looks. He was taking corner shots (one of which shook up Rask) and looking more confident.

Unfortunately, one of Detroit’s steadiest players appeared to be injured in Robby Fabbri. His coming to Detroit was a breath of fresh air for both player and organization. Hopefully he is not down for too long. On the other side of the injury bug it appears as though Mantha may be back on Tuesday. Good news for the 6’6” sniper. More has been revealed regarding his injury do to the nasty (unpunished) slew foot of Jake Muzzin. After having his lung punctured, Mantha got the flu. That is an exercise in pain tolerance. Coughing and getting ill with a hole in your lung must be some nasty business.

And so, just in time to have a reasonable finishing performance, the team is coming together. The season is as many thought it would be, a genuine contention for first overall pick. Even if that doesn’t happen, there are still some incredibly talented players available in the top 3 or 4. The task of the next 2 weeks is to see if any expiring contracts can be turned into picks or players.

Tuesday’s game will see Detroit return to Buffalo. Should Mantha truly be available, it may be a fun contest to watch. We’ll see what Tuesday brings and I will post any updates regarding player health and trades.

Let me know your thoughts on today’s tilt. See you in the comments!

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