The Red Wings fended off a three-game skid early Saturday in Nashville in a spirited bout with the Predators. The Wings have been shuffling the roster due to injuries (and other reasons), so we got to see a bit of the future on display with Marco Kasper getting the start. (more on that later)
Like many others, I’ve been pretty indifferent with the Red Wings so far this season. They were outshot by the Preds in this game, just like the last time they played each other (Wings won that game also), but they showed some improvement and actual structure in this game that makes me feel a little better.
Tic Tac Toe
The Wings managed one power play goal on three tries, which I think is worth feeling okay about. The PP goal from Dylan Larkin was particularly awesome:
Foot On The Gas
It could be that the Nashville Predators are playing like certified shit right now, but the Wings kept their foot on the gas late in the third period while holding a slim lead. Both Simon Edvinsson and Andrew Copp (his second of the game) picked up empty-net goals. Maybe it’s a dumb thing to notice, but those late one-goal leads are always torturous. It’s nice to see the team finish the job with an exclamation point.
Lyon Comes Up Big
Alex Lyon looked a little shaky letting in the first goal (and second goal that was called back on a Red Wings challenge) for Nashville, but he didn’t let that get to him. Lyon stopped 37 of 39 shots faced, one of which happened to be a contender for save of the year:
Marco Mania
If you got the chance to watch this game, you probably noticed Marco Kasper very early on. The 20-year-old registered his first NHL point off of a great shift with Jonatan Berggren that resulted in Vladamir Tarasenko’s second goal of the season:
Kasper logged a modest amount of ice time, threw a few hits, and looked every bit of an NHL player.
And Finally… An Opinion You Didn’t Ask For
There were some “Jared Goff” chants at Bridgestone Arena, per the Bally Sports Detroit broadcast. I’ve seen quite a few people start complaining on social media about these chants, saying that they shouldn’t happen at hockey games. It’s a funny stance to take, honestly. You pay your money for a ticket to entertainment, so have fun and chant whatever you want. Trust me, there are better things to be mad at.
FINAL SCORE: 5-2, Red Wings
Box Score
