Red Wings and Blue Jackets Trade Blows in a Bitter Draw, Retaliation Boils Over
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:52 pm
Detroit, MI – Tonight's RSHL clash between the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets was a true war of attrition, ending in a 1-1 tie that felt more like a powder keg waiting to explode. The game was marked by tight defensive play, stellar goaltending, and a deeply unsettling act of retaliation that left a Blue Jacket player injured and a Red Wing facing a lengthy suspension.
The Red Wings opened the scoring late in the first period, as Jamie Oleksiak notched his 4th goal of the season at 18:24, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Vincent Trocheck. The goal sent the home crowd of 18,507 into a frenzy, but it would be the last time Detroit would find the back of the net.
The second period saw the Blue Jackets draw even. Aleksander Barkov, with his 23rd goal of the year, put Columbus on the board at 15:02, assisted by Kaiden Guhle. The period also featured a minor penalty to Joseph Veleno of the Red Wings for roughing. However, the most significant moment of the middle frame came later, though it manifested in the third. The Red Wings watched in dismay as Robby Fabbri was injured at 16:54 of the second period, a play that clearly simmered on the Detroit bench.
The simmering tensions boiled over dramatically in the third period. Just over three minutes in, after Columbus' Arber Xhekaj took a boarding minor, Red Wings forward Marcus Johansson delivered a brutal head-butt to Xhekaj at 03:32. The immediate major penalty and game misconduct for Johansson left no doubt about the severity of the act. Xhekaj was injured on the play, a chilling echo of Fabbri's earlier departure. This incident, undeniably a retaliatory strike, resulted in Johansson's immediate ejection and a subsequent five-game suspension, a hefty price for what appeared to be a direct response to the Fabbri injury. The Red Wings were forced to kill off a five-minute major, served by Morgan Geekie, showcasing the team's discipline under extreme circumstances, even after one of their own lost his composure.
Despite the explosive third period, neither team managed to score again. Overtime was equally fruitless, resulting in a 1-1 tie.
In net, Logan Thompson of the Blue Jackets was outstanding, turning aside 30 of 31 shots to earn the tie, pushing his record to 19-22-8. Alexandar Georgiev for the Red Wings was equally impressive, making 28 saves on 29 shots for his own tie, bringing his record to 18-19-6. Power play conversions were nonexistent, with the Blue Jackets going 0 for 2 and the Red Wings 0 for 1.
Logan Thompson's stellar performance earned him the first star of the game, followed by Alexandar Georgiev as the second star, and Aleksander Barkov as the third star for his goal. While the Red Wings salvaged a point, the evening will be remembered less for the score and more for the raw emotions and the costly act of retribution that may haunt them for several games to come.
The Red Wings opened the scoring late in the first period, as Jamie Oleksiak notched his 4th goal of the season at 18:24, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Vincent Trocheck. The goal sent the home crowd of 18,507 into a frenzy, but it would be the last time Detroit would find the back of the net.
The second period saw the Blue Jackets draw even. Aleksander Barkov, with his 23rd goal of the year, put Columbus on the board at 15:02, assisted by Kaiden Guhle. The period also featured a minor penalty to Joseph Veleno of the Red Wings for roughing. However, the most significant moment of the middle frame came later, though it manifested in the third. The Red Wings watched in dismay as Robby Fabbri was injured at 16:54 of the second period, a play that clearly simmered on the Detroit bench.
The simmering tensions boiled over dramatically in the third period. Just over three minutes in, after Columbus' Arber Xhekaj took a boarding minor, Red Wings forward Marcus Johansson delivered a brutal head-butt to Xhekaj at 03:32. The immediate major penalty and game misconduct for Johansson left no doubt about the severity of the act. Xhekaj was injured on the play, a chilling echo of Fabbri's earlier departure. This incident, undeniably a retaliatory strike, resulted in Johansson's immediate ejection and a subsequent five-game suspension, a hefty price for what appeared to be a direct response to the Fabbri injury. The Red Wings were forced to kill off a five-minute major, served by Morgan Geekie, showcasing the team's discipline under extreme circumstances, even after one of their own lost his composure.
Despite the explosive third period, neither team managed to score again. Overtime was equally fruitless, resulting in a 1-1 tie.
In net, Logan Thompson of the Blue Jackets was outstanding, turning aside 30 of 31 shots to earn the tie, pushing his record to 19-22-8. Alexandar Georgiev for the Red Wings was equally impressive, making 28 saves on 29 shots for his own tie, bringing his record to 18-19-6. Power play conversions were nonexistent, with the Blue Jackets going 0 for 2 and the Red Wings 0 for 1.
Logan Thompson's stellar performance earned him the first star of the game, followed by Alexandar Georgiev as the second star, and Aleksander Barkov as the third star for his goal. While the Red Wings salvaged a point, the evening will be remembered less for the score and more for the raw emotions and the costly act of retribution that may haunt them for several games to come.