Columbus 2, Detroit 2 (End of two periods)
The Blue Jackets and Red Wings have traded goals in the second period. Justin Faulk scored for Detroit at 6:27 and Zach Werenski tied the game, 2-2, at 10:59.
Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored on a power-play to tie the game, 1-1, in the first period.
Larkin tried to pass the puck to Alex DeBrincat at the side of the goal but the puck went off defenseman Erik Gudbranson, right to Larkin who beat goalie Jet Greaves at 10:27.
The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead on a goal by forward Danton Heinen after a turnover by defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka behind the Detroit goal.
Heinen took a pass from Mason Marchment and beat John Gibson at 2:06.
Detroit and Columbus are tied with 88 points, one point behind the New York Islanders and two points behind the Ottawa Senators, who hold the final wild-card spot.
Gibson got the start in goal after sitting out against the Wild on Sunday. Gibson had started 14 straight games before Cam Talbot played in the 5-4 loss to Minnesota.
How to watch Red Wings vs. Blue Jackets
Faceoff: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
TV/radio: FDSN/950
Notable: The Wings (40-29-8, 88 points) entertain Columbus (38-27-12, 88 points) in a pivotal game for both teams. … Both trail Ottawa (90 points) for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. … Columbus is winless in its last six games (0-5-1). … D Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe) is a potential Norris Trophy candidate (57 assists, 78 points).
What are Detroit’s odds of making the playoffs?
The Red Wings’ odds of making the playoff after the Olympics was at 81 percent.
Since the Olympic break, Detroit’s record is 7-10-2 and the playoff odds are down to 14 percent with only five games left.
What do the analytics say about Dylan Larkin?
Captain Dylan Larkin has four points in seven games since returning to the lineup after missing seven games with a leg injury against Florida on March 6.
He has just four scoring chances off the rush in those seven games and his slot-driving plays (carries and passes) are also down to 2.48 from 4.16.
Grosse Pointe’s Werenski: ‘We’re not eliminated’
Grosse Pointe’s Zach Werenski and the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-27-12) have lost six straight games, including a 2-1 loss at home to the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 on Saturday.
The frustrated Blue Jackets held a team meeting following the defeat.
“I’ll just keep our conversation in here because we’re a better team than what we’ve shown and just talked about it,” Werenski said. “We’re not eliminated. We’re still in it and I believe in this group. I believe we can get it done and it’s just doing it.
“I mean, we did it for two months. The last two weeks obviously haven’t gone our way, but it’s in the room and it’s on us to just pull it out and get it done.”
Werenski believes the team needs a singular mindset on Tuesday.
“We can’t worry about what other teams do or whoever we have after Detroit,” he said. “Our focus just has to be on Detroit, and after that we’ll figure it out.”
Whose slump is worse? Blue Jackets or Red Wings?
Columbus was 19-3-4 after coach Rick Bowness replaced Dean Evanson on Jan. 12.
Since then, the Blue Jackets are 0-5-1 and they’ve scored just 10 goals during the six-game slide.
“We create the second most chances on the forecheck in the entire league,” said Bowness, a former Red Wing. “Yet we want to get inside the blue line and make cute little plays against good teams that aren’t working.
“And they’re not working. So, I have to get after them. They’ve got to change their mindset.”
Since Detroit won back-to-back home games against Calgary and Montreal, they’ve gone 2-6 and have lost two in a year heading into Tuesday’s showdown against Columbus.
Why can’t the Red Wings score five-on-five?
The Red Wings have ranked among the worst teams in five-on-five offense all season.
Even after scoring four goals on Sunday at five-on-five against the Wild, Detroit has just 33 goals at five-on-five in 19 games since the Olympic break.
Only the Toronto Maple Leafs (32) and Vancouver Canucks (31) have fewer goals during that time, according to Sportlogiq.
Five games left for Red Wings
The Red Wings have 88 points with five games remaining and are two points out of the final playoff position with a week left in the season.
If the Wings win all five games, they’ll have a maximum of 98 points, the most points since 2014-15 when they had 100 points.
Tuesday, April 7: Columbus, 7
Thursday, April 9: Philadelphia, 9
Saturday, April 11: New Jersey
Monday, April 13: @ Tampa Bay, 7
Wednesday, April 15: @ Florida, 7
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Red Wings, Blue Jackets tied 2-2 after two periods: Live updates
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
