Red Wings Complete Two-Game Sweep with 5-2 Win Over Blues To Begin Road Trip
The Red Wings have swept their home-and-home series with the St. Louis Blues, winning on Tuesday evening by a 5-2 final score and improving to 7-3 through the first 10 games of their centennial campaign.
For the second time this season, the Detroit Red Wings have swept a home-and-home series, this time against the St. Louis Blues.
Following their dramatic and historic 6-4 comeback victory over the Blues at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday night, both teams reconvened in St. Louis on Tuesday evening for the beginning of what would be a five-game road swing for the Red Wings.
FIRST DUB OF THE ROAD TRIP!
While the Blues got off to a quick start by scoring on their first shot, the Red Wings would assume control from that point. Team captain Dylan Larkin continued his hot start to the season, scoring twice while adding an assist as part of a 5-2 victory at Enterprise Center.
With the win, the Red Wings improved their record to 7-3 and remain in a first place tie in the Atlantic Division with the Montreal Canadiens.
Brayden Schenn lifted the Blues to an early 1-0 lead after a shot from Philip Broberg deflected off Ben Chiarot and landed right on his stick. Goaltender John Gibson, who had moved to his right to stop the initial shot, didn't have time to react before the puck was in the back of the net.
Chiarot would then flip the script on St. Louis minutes later, as his shot from the point deflected off the skate of St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk and past Binnington to knot the score at 1-1.
The Red Wings then grabbed a 2-1 lead after Alex DeBrincat, who finally got the monkey off his back on Saturday by tallying his first goal of the campaign, deflected Moritz Seider's shot past Binnington on a power-play opportunity for his second goal in as many games.
Larkin increased the lead to 3-1 after he one-timed a shot-pass from Simon Edvinsson in the slot past Binnington for his seventh goal.
Just under two minutes later, the Blues failed to pick up 6'8" Elmer Soderblom all alone in front of the net as he took a centering feed from Michael Rasmussen and scored his first goal of the campaign, increasing the lead to 4-1.
The Blues managed to pull within a pair of goals when Jordan Kyrou beat Gibson with a glove-side shot with 4:24 remaining, but it's as close as they'd get. Larkin capped the victory with his second tally of the night and eighth of the season with Binnington on the bench for an extra attacker.
Gibson picked up his fourth victory in a Red Wings uniform by making 20 saves; Binnington countered with 15 saves on the 19 shots he faced.
The Red Wings will now head to the West Coast for three games, beginning on Thursday evening against the Los Angeles Kings.
Muhammad Ali’s grandson channels boxing legend’s tactics in ‘Thrilla in Manila 2’ but fails to win
Muhammad Ali's grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, channelled his grandfather's moves, but he wasn't able to emulate his successes.
Fifty years after Ali and Joe Frazier closed out their iconic trilogy at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, Ali Walsh (11-2-1) met Thailand's Kittisak Klinson (10-2-1) at the same venue on Wednesday morning.
Muhammad Ali's grandson channels boxing legend's tactics in 'Thrilla in Manila 2' but is denied win
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The card, dubbed 'Thrilla In Manila 2', in a nod to Ali and Frazier's barnburning third bout, was promoted by Manny Pacquiao's MP Promotions and IBA Pro.
Melvin Jerusalem topped the bill in a WBC minimumweight title defence against Siyakholwa Kuse.
But before then, Ali Walsh took centre stage on the undercard.
Unlike the original 'Thrilla in Manila', this one didn't end with a member of the Ali clan getting their hand raised.
Instead, Ali Walsh was held to a majority draw by Klinson.
One judge scored the bout 77-75 in Klinson's favour, while the other two submitted even scorecards of 76-76.
A disappointed Ali Walsh vented his frustrations with the result in the immediate aftermath.
But more than anything, he was thankful for the opportunity.
"I wouldn't be here today if not for God and my grandfather," he said.
"So I want to thank my grandfather for putting on an amazing show fifty years ago in this arena.
"Thank you for having me, and I hope to be back soon.
"I don't agree with the decision, but I know you guys saw the real victor tonight. Thank you guys so much for coming out."
Story of the fight
The fight was a tale of two halves.
Klinson got off to a fast start, trapping Ali against the ropes and unloading heavy combinations in the first three frames.
But by round four, Klinson's output began to lower as he stepped off Ali Walsh and looked to counter off the back foot.
Chants of 'Ali, Ali, Ali' rang around the venue as Ali Walsh closed out the third round by performing his grandfather's famous rope-a-dope technique, which 'The Greatest' used to tire out and beat 'Big' George Foreman in Zaire in 1974.
The extra time and space were greatly received by Ali Walsh, who began to snap back Klinson's head with a ram-rodding jab and booming right uppercut.
By the seventh stanza, Klinson was breathing heavily and looked ragged.
Early in the round, Ali Walsh stunned his adversary with a clubbing right hand, but it was ruled to have landed behind the head.
Klinson continued to complain to the referee and resorted to the dark arts as he attempted to smother Ali Walsh's work by clinching.
Ali Walsh finished strong down the home straight with a blistering flurry and capped off his performance with an Ali shuffle.
Yet he was ultimately denied the win.
