Detroit Red Wings: Bertuzzi is What the Wings Need

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi provides the offense and toughness they need to succeed.

Tyler Bertuzzi has been arguably one of the best players on the Detroit Red Wings roster for the 2018-19 season. He is the quintessential modern-day hockey player combining skill, speed and grit. In the past two games against the Colorado Avalanche (December 2) and Boston Bruins (December 1), Bertuzzi has played a crucial factor.

On December 1st, he had an outstanding game scoring one goal, registering three shots and throwing the Bruins off their game. Beyond scoring his goal, Bertuzzi’s play of the night came when he agitated Brad Marchand, prompting Marchand to take action and leaving his team shorthanded.

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With 2:45 left to go in the second period with both teams tied at one, Bertuzzi gave the pesky Marchand a shove after he began poking and jarring at the Wings. Marchand, outsized by three inches, did not drop the gloves with Bertuzzi.

Instead, he waited for teammate Colin Cave to bail him out.  As Bertuzzi and Cave started to tie each other up, Marchand cowardly went to the goalie crease and slashed Howard.

The timid action of Marchand prompted for a line scrap, one that did not include the goalies, unfortunately.  When the dust settled the Bruins were left short-handed and Dylan Larkin capitalized on the power play, allowing the Red Wings to take a 2-1 lead. The Bruins played rattled the rest of the game and the Wings came up with a 4-2 win.

Next, the Red Wings faced off against the Colorado Avalanche on December 2nd in a rivalry game that has been relatively quiet the past few seasons. Bertuzzi had another tremendous game, playing gritty and creating havoc in from of the net. His two biggest highlights of the game happened when he had a good scrap with Ian Cole and when he got Matt Calvert rattled on the bench.

Calvert was pinned against the Red Wings bench when he decided to take liberties into his own hands and spear Bertuzzi, sitting on the bench, in the gut. Of course, spearing someone who is on the bench in the gut does not go unanswered, so Bertuzzi wrapped Calvert up and threw a couple of haymakers at him. Calvert attempted to throw punches back, but he had him beat.

Some may hockey fans may be begging for Bertuzzi to get a suspension, but his actions were justified. Calvert had his stick flying in the Wings bench for a few seconds, poking at the Wings on the bench. Bertuzzi did the natural thing and grabbed this stick so it would not hit him or his teammates.

Calvert could have done the smart thing and let the stick go and maybe the Wings would have been penalized. But instead, Calvert bull-rushed to the Wings bench and Bertuzzi did the instinctual thing by defending himself.

Unfortunately, the Wings lost the game, but it was a game that showed a glimmer of old-time Red Wings hockey.  It is fair to say by Colorado and Detroit fans have to be happy to see this rivalry kickstarting again.

Bertuzzi is at the forefront of the Wings’ success as he is able to be a contributing forward by acquiring points and getting in the dirty areas.  It is players like Tyler Bertuzzi that will lead the Red Wings to success.