Red Wings Rumblings
It wasn’t pretty, but the Red Wings returned to action over the weekend after a two-week break and have three points to show for it. Saturday’s loss stung pretty bad, but getting the point was a success in my eyes. Detroit played an overall pretty strong game against Anaheim but you started to see some of those bad tendencies we saw before Todd McLellan arrived. Despite the late collapse, the Wings pulled off the OT win thanks to Marco Kasper and Patrick Kane.
Okay, so both games didn’t really end the way we wanted them to. No doubt, it should have been a four-point weekend given the way they performed. I’m leaving them a little grace since it’s a tough task to play back-to-back games coming off a long break. We’re getting to that time of year where it doesn’t matter how you win or get a point, just that you got them in the first place.
After the weekend slate, Detroit holds the first wild card spot in the East, two points ahead of Ottawa and four points behind Tampa for the third spot in the Atlantic, though the Bolts have a game in hand. Detroit lost Andrew Copp to injury, he’s been placed on IR and Sheldon Dries has been recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins.
There’s something to be said about Marco Kasper’s play. We forget that this guy is just 20 years old, taking on big minutes for his team and the result has exceeded expectations. When Detroit drafted Kasper at 8th overall in 2022, I expected he would be a useful bottom-six forward for years to come, but now I’m altering my expectations now that I’ve seen what he can do in an elevated role. Kasper turns 21 in April, so we’re not even seeing his prime years just yet. It’s going to be fun to see how he develops as this roster matures.
Detroit is in Minnesota Tuesday night for a rematch with the Wild, then Thursday against Columbus at home. All eyes will be shift to the Horseshoe for Saturday’s Stadium Series tilt with the Blue Jackets. Should be a fun week for Red Wings hockey, and let’s not forget the NHL Trade Deadline, which is just around the corner.
Keep an eye out for another prospect update today. That’s coming later this morning!
