Detroit triumphed over Los Angeles with a final score of 5-2 on Monday night, thanks to a stellar performance by Marco Kasper, who netted two goals. Lucas Raymond contributed significantly with one goal and three assists, helping the Red Wings to bounce back from an early 2-0 deficit in the first period. Elmer Soderblom also celebrated his first goal of the season, while Alex DeBrincat added another to the scoreboard. Goalie Cam Talbot made 23 saves, improving his record to 8-1 for the month of January.
For the Kings, Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala were the only scorers, while goalie Darcy Kuemper recorded 23 saves. Byfield’s goal came during the first period when a backhanded attempt by Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider inadvertently allowed the puck to slip past Talbot, finding its way between his skate and the post.
In terms of performance trends, the Kings are currently experiencing a slump, sitting at 2-5-1 following a five-game winning streak. On the other hand, the Red Wings were missing key players including Patrick Kane, J.T. Compher, and Vladimir Tarasenko due to various injuries or illnesses. This scenario opened the door for 31-year-old Dominik Shine to make his NHL debut after an extensive career in the AHL with Grand Rapids, where he played 462 games. Shine contributed to the fourth line of the Red Wings.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred shortly after Talbot made an impressive save against Adrian Kempe. Kasper capitalized by scoring on his own rebound while being pushed to the ice, thereby extending Detroit’s lead to 4-2 with just under ten minutes left in the game.
A noteworthy statistic from the game shows that Raymond, who currently leads the Red Wings with 56 points, has been particularly effective, accumulating 23 points in just 16 games since Todd McLellan took over as head coach at the end of last month.
Looking ahead, the Kings are scheduled to face off against Florida on Wednesday, while the Red Wings will embark on a four-game road trip starting with a visit to Edmonton on Thursday.
