The Red Wings were down a goal to the Panthers in the third, and then chaos broke out in their defensive zone. Florida set up shop and started firing. Detroit blocked four straight shots, with players dropping left and right. One guy took a puck off the left foot, limped back into play, then caught another in the right. Another got hit and tripped a teammate. At one point, three Red Wings were on the ice after eating slapshots. Even when a stick broke on a block attempt, they kept sacrificing bodies. The goalie made a huge save, and finally a ricochet cleared the zone.
All that effort paid off—at least for a moment. Detroit tied the game after finding space down low. Florida’s defense broke down, and with only two defenders in frame against five Panthers, the puck made its way to the point for a clean shot that got through. A fan behind the glass waved a squid while sipping Bud Light, clearly enjoying himself despite the weird sports mix on display.
In overtime, the Panthers eventually won it, but that stretch of desperation defense in the third was the highlight. The Red Wings threw everything at keeping the puck out, and somehow it worked just long enough to give them a shot.