Vrana scores in Detroit debut, Red Wings beat Chicago 4-1

<p>DETROIT &mdash; Jakub Vrana scored in his Detroit debut, and Troy Stecher added two goals for the Red Wings in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.</p>
<p>Vrana and Richard Panik played for the first time since the Red Wings acquired them in a trade Monday with Washington. Vrana put Detroit up 2-1 with a breakaway goal in the second period.</p>
<p>Duncan Keith scored the only goal for Chicago, which remained four points behind Nashville for the fourth spot in the Central Division.</p>
<p>Michael Rasmussen scored into an empty net for the Red Wings, who have a three-game winning streak for the first time this season.</p>
<p>Chicago hit the post twice in rapid succession during one first-period sequence, and Keith eventually gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead, taking a cross-ice pass from Alex DeBrincat and scoring from the left circle.</p>
<p>Stecher tied it in the second when his seemingly harmless shot from behind the right circle hit Kevin Lankinen’s blocker and bounced over the goalie and in.</p>
<p>Vrana then put the Red Wings ahead immediately after serving a bench minor for too many men on the ice. When he came out of the box, he took a pass from Gustav Lindstrom and was in alone for his 12th goal of the season.</p>
<p>Stecher capped Detroit’s three-goal second period, tucking the puck into an open net with Lankinen out of position after a nice pass from Danny DeKeyser.</p>
<p>Rasmussen’s goal came with 1:26 left in the game.</p>
<p>Thomas Greiss had 24 saves for the Red Wings.</p>
<p>NOTES: Vrana played 16:57. That’s more ice time than he had in any of his last nine games with the Capitals. … Detroit won for only the second time in seven meetings with Chicago this season.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Blackhawks: Complete the two-game set in Detroit on Saturday.</p>
<p>Red Wings: Host Chicago in second of two games on Saturday.</p>
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