Toronto Maple Leafs Fall in Shootout

TORONTO – Sports News – The Detroit Red Wings topped the Toronto Maple Leafs last night in exciting NHL action. It took overtime and a shoot out however for the Wings to gain the two points.

Daniel Alfredsson and Pavel Datsyuk scored in the shootout, and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 at Air Canada Centre on Saturday night in a preview of the 2014 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

Alfredsson and Datsyuk beat Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier in the tiebreaker, and the Maple Leafs went 0-for-2 against Jonas Gustavsson. It was Detroit’s first win in seven shootouts this season and the Red Wings’ first in 12 tiebreakers dating back to last season.

“It was great,” Gustavsson said. “It was a long time ago for our team and it felt really good to get that win in the shootout. Especially for myself too because I don’t think I had my best game tonight so it was fun. At least we were able to step up there and get the win.”

Alfredsson, the former captain of the rival Ottawa Senators who signed with Detroit as a free agent in July, was booed by Maple Leafs fans throughout the game.

“It fires you up a little bit extra at best, there’s no question,” Alfredsson said. “It was nice that [Gustavsson] saves the first one then I score and put a little more pressure on them going into the second round. … We’re in desperate need of points and getting that extra one, it’s a good feeling.”

The next time these two Original Six rivals see each other will be Jan. 1, 2014, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the Winter Classic.

With files from NHL.com