Bogosian's Revenge Tour Kicks Off in Seattle, Red Wings Pummel Bottom-Feeding Kraken 5-2

[RedWings]

SEATTLE – After a brief and utterly forgettable detour back home to lose against the New Jersey Devils, the Detroit Red Wings packed their bags (and likely their therapy sessions) and jetted off to Seattle. Their mission: to face the Kraken, a team so far down in the league standings, they're practically sending postcards from the Mariana Trench. And in a glorious display of "picking on someone their own size" (or rather, much smaller), the Red Wings delivered a resounding 5-2 beatdown, highlighted by the most improbable redemption arc of the season: Zach Bogosian's return to glory.

Remember that trade saga? The one where the Sharks sent Bogosian to Detroit, then signed him as a UFA, only to trade him back to Detroit just two days ago? Well, it seems Bogosian took all that cross-continental confusion and channeled it into pure, unadulterated hockey brilliance. Tonight, Bogosian was less a defenseman and more a one-man wrecking crew, racking up an astonishing three assists and a +2 rating. Forget "Zach's back," it's "Zach's better!" The Red Wings' faithful can now confidently say that whatever it cost to re-re-acquire him, it was clearly worth it for this single, glorious game.

The game started with the usual Red Wings flair for self-sabotage, as Erik D. Gustafsson managed to get himself ejected a mere six seconds into the game. Because why have a full defensive corps when you can play short-handed right from the get-go? Yet, even with that customary early chaos, the Red Wings found their stride. Tim Stutzle, with an assist from the newly re-returned Bogosian, opened the scoring on the power play. Dylan Larkin then added to the lead, putting the Red Wings up 2-0 in the first against a Kraken team seemingly still in preseason mode.

The second period was where the Red Wings truly decided to pile on the misery for the league's designated bottom feeders. Anthony Duclair, clearly inspired by Bogosian's passing prowess, netted two quick goals, with the second one, naturally, being assisted by none other than Zach Bogosian himself. The Kraken, to their credit (and probably to avoid a complete shutout), managed to find the net twice in quick succession from Matthew Nieto and Matthew Beniers, offering a fleeting illusion of a comeback.

But the third period sealed the Kraken's fate. Marco Scandella, perhaps wanting to get in on the Bogosian assist party, scored with yet another helper from the man of the hour. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, no longer a revolving door of pucks, stopped 20 of 22 shots, earning a well-deserved win and proving that even he can look like a Vezina candidate when facing a team that seemingly forgot how to score. Yaroslav Askarov, the Kraken's netminder, faced a barrage and was pulled after giving up 5 goals on 25 shots, replaced by Michael Hutchinson, who mercifully stopped all 8 shots he faced.

The Red Wings' power play, benefiting from Bogosian's newfound offensive touch, converted once on two opportunities, while the Kraken's special teams remained as potent as a broken flashlight.

Zach Bogosian's three-point night earned him the game's first star, a triumphant return for a player who has now been traded between the same two teams more times than most people change their socks. Anthony Duclair and Tim Stutzle rounded out the three stars, but let's be honest, this night belonged to the absurd and glorious return of Bogosian.

As the Red Wings leave Seattle, having thoroughly dominated a team that's clearly saving its energy for draft lottery balls, they can hold their heads high. Or at least, Zach Bogosian can. His revenge tour, against a team that probably didn't even realize they did anything wrong, is off to a spectacular start. Two games remain on this arduous road trip, and one can only wonder what other unexpected storylines (or trade reversals) await.