There have been some collective weights lifted off the shoulders of a pair of key Detroit Red Wings players in the last several games.
Late last month on Oct. 25, forward Alex DeBrincat sniped home his first goal of the season, ending a goalless streak that included several Grade-A chances that he was robbed of by opposition goaltenders along with more than a few hit posts.
He's since scored three more goals, increasing his total to four.
Forward Marco Kasper, who traditionally plays alongside DeBrincat, got the monkey off his back by scoring twice as part of the Red Wings' 4-3 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 30.
For Kasper, it was the first time that he'd lit the lamp since scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 11.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
The
Naturally, that goal scoring feeling came rushing back to Kasper after he tipped Axel Sandin-Pellikka's shot past Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XMARCO PPG!"It feels good to score," Kasper said on Friday. "It's always a relief to score again, and you just always want to chase this feeling."
"It all starts with playing good, sound game overall and competing hard," he continued.
Kasper would cap a beautiful three-way passing play between Alex DeBrincat, Mason Appleton, and himself in the third period against the Kings for his second tally of the night:
Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XBINGO BANGO WHAT A PLAY
93 → 22 → 92The second half of last season was a true breakout for Kasper, who earned a call up to the Red Wings in late October and never looked back. While he got off to a bit of a slower beginning to his NHL journey, he began to thrive once Todd McLellan was hired in late December.
From January 10 through the end of the season, Kasper led all NHL rookies with 17 goals. In that span, he also ranked fifth overall in total rookie scoring.
“I think Marco’s playing harder,” McLellan said following the win over the Kings. “The second goal, he’s going to the net, he’s stopping in the paint. So he’s a competitive individual that has put some pressure on himself. Maybe this will really get him going, but we’re counting on him, and we forget he’s like 20, 21 years old. You’d think he was 27 the way he played last year.”
The Red Wings are also set to welcome Patrick Kane back into the lineup after he missed the previous nine games with an upper-body injury.
"It's huge to get him back, just his experience and his skills on the power play," Kasper said. "It'll be fun to have him back out there."
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.