Three Takeaways from Pink Wings’ 4-2 Preseason Win in opposition to Chicago

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September 26, 2024

The Pink Wings despatched a reasonably robust squad to Chicago for Wednesday night time’s opening preseason recreation. Eleven of their 20 gamers spent most of final season within the NHL, together with a prime line of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Detroit received the sport, 4-2, with objectives from Tyler Motte, Jeff Petry, Lucas Raymond and Olli Maatta.

In a preseason recreation, the method of getting a win says extra concerning the staff than any field rating can. So let’s dive in to what we discovered about Detroit on this recreation.

Austin Watson Exhibits Layers in First Recreation of Tryout

When he spoke in Traverse Metropolis about what Austin Watson can convey to the Pink Wings, Pink Wings coach Derek Lalonde didn’t child. Watson’s main contribution is his protecting position — hitting, creating house and not-so-occasionally dropping the gloves. However Lalonde additionally made positive to not diminish Watson’s talent.

Lalonde was fast to level out that Watson is a primary spherical choose — 18th total to Nashville again in 2010 — whose energetic stick and skill to make performs make him a real NHLer. It’s tapping into these talent layers, extra so than the snarl, that Watson may use to carve out a distinct segment on this Pink Wings roster.

“We need to have just a little of that component,” Lalonde stated Tuesday of Watson’s toughness. “However on the similar time, we want the participant to assist us. So there’s so much that may go into it.”

Watson did his fair proportion of serving to Wednesday night time in Chicago, the place he and the Pink Wings’ presumptive fourth line moonlighted because the second line. Watson notched an help and made a lot of performs that helped his teammates.

Watson’s help was by far his particular person spotlight of the night time. After just a little little bit of zone time within the first interval, Watson obtained the puck on the proper half wall with some house. As a substitute of driving towards the online for some particular person heroics, he noticed Tyler Motte with leverage on a defenseman on the internet entrance. Watson made an excellent backdoor feed, and Motte hardly needed to transfer to money it in off a redirect for the sport’s opening objective.

This objective was the form of play — trustworthy, hard-working — that will get coaches excited. In an audition for a fourth line position, these are two traits that each participant needs to be.

Off the field rating, Watson additionally had some spectacular checking performs. On the penalty kill with Marco Kasper, Watson made a pleasant play to counterattack by pinning a puck-carrying Blackhawk to the boards, permitting Kasper to select up the puck and switch a breakaway. The possibility didn’t materialize an excessive amount of, but it surely was a team-first transfer amongst many by Watson.

As for the top recreation right here, it’s onerous to say whether or not Watson has an opportunity to earn a contract. Enjoying like he did Wednesday makes his case robust, however the Pink Wings’ 23 roster spots are all crammed proper now. It will take some motion to liberate a spot for him. There’s an vital determination — or somewhat, selections — to be made about Watson, and his efficiency to date goes to make Detroit administration suppose lengthy and onerous.

Ville Husso Up-and-Down in First Begin Since Damage

Ville Husso stopped 15 of the 17 pictures he confronted Wednesday, however the stat strains don’t matter right here. It’s preseason hockey, in addition to Husso’s first NHL motion since taking place with an harm in February. Enjoying 40 minutes in opposition to Chicago is extra so meant as a warm-up for Husso, inching him nearer to full restoration.

“He’s wholesome, however I nonetheless suppose it appears just a little quick for him at occasions, which is comprehensible,” Derek Lalonde stated Wednesday after apply. “You possibly can rehab, you will get again in form, you are able to do what you may over the summer time, however particularly in that place, you want stay reps.”

What’s value taking a look at is the way in which Husso dealt with these stay reps, and what they inform us about the place his restoration is at.

Husso began the sport robust, making a lot of robust saves. One specifically stood out within the first interval when Albert Johansson turned a puck over on a zone exit, and 13-year NHLer Craigh Smith obtained the puck. Husso saved the shot by Smith and didn’t hand over a rebound.

The 2 objectives Husso let in, nevertheless, weren’t so fairly, and each got here from the paltry six pictures he confronted within the second interval. One got here off the rebound of a shot off the put up, which Smith tucked with an extended backhand simply out of Husso’s attain. The second got here when Teuvo Teravainen made a spinning shot within the slot that tucked simply previous Husso’s extending pad. Each have been saves that an NHL goalie on the prime of their recreation ought to make extra occasions than not.

Nonetheless, it’s onerous to take a lot difficulty with Husso’s efficiency contemplating that it’s as a lot a step in a restoration course of as it’s a aggressive outing. These have been Husso’s first NHL minutes in 225 days. Perfection shouldn’t be anticipated.

However, it’s vital to keep in mind that Husso is able battle for begins with two different established NHL starters. He’s additionally, attributable to his harm and lack of video games, on most likely the weakest footing of the three. Husso should be an entire lot higher in his subsequent outing, however for now he’s dismissed the mud.

Within the third interval, Sebastian Cossa stepped in and stopped 10 of the ten pictures he confronted in his first motion of the preseason. He is in line to be Grand Rapids’ starter this season, but it surely was an encouraging outing for his long run NHL future.

Kasper, Mazur Look the Half in Preseason Play

Wednesday after morning practices, Pink Wings coach Derek Lalonde stated that he feels a participant’s NHL readiness is predicated on their potential to affect the entire recreation — not simply particular person areas.

“I actually suppose a two-way recreation the place you are enjoying the appropriate manner on a regular basis, you may make an affect in successful shifts,” Lalonde stated. “To me, that is when the participant is prepared.”

In that case, ahead prospects Marco Kasper and Carter Mazur put collectively a number of NHL prepared tape in opposition to Chicago. Each gamers have been assertive at each ends, killing performs defensively and giving further effort to create them offensively. Of their bid to pressure their manner onto the roster — whether or not now or later within the season — they made excellent circumstances for themselves.

Mazur specifically had an amazing effort on Jeff Petry’s second interval objective, diving after an out-of-reach puck and poking it into Petry’s wheelhouse for a seeing-eye shot. However past that one spotlight reel play, he additionally persistently discovered his method to the online in a manner the place he might be helpful to his teammates. Defensively, he obtained into battles and held his personal.

Kasper, in the meantime, leaned on fast skating to sprint all around the ice and management play. There have been shifts when he would wreak havoc deep within the offensive zone earlier than skating again fast sufficient to defend with out lacking a beat. He additionally had a pleasant scoring likelihood on the penalty kill working off Watson’s aforementioned efforts, a shift that noticed him play simply as nicely defensively in disrupting the Blackhawks’ construction and limiting their potential to even try pictures. Total, spectacular stuff.

In response to HockeyStatCards, Mazur and Kasper had the very best and third highest recreation scores, respectively, within the outing.

Make no mistake, although, it’s going to take an actual shakeup for both participant to crack the roster on opening night time. Detroit’s 23 roster spots are claimed by a projected 12 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders that doesn’t account for them. In a manner, these preseason video games are much less so a tryout for a roster spot now than setting the tone to probably declare a spot later within the season when accidents or different absences inevitably creep in. In any case, the Pink Wings ought to be comfy with these two gamers to carry out nicely on the NHL degree. They confirmed their affect Wednesday, persevering with to construct on their optimistic momentum.