Wings Week in Review: Comebacks, Kasper End Drought, and a Date with Toronto
First things firstโI owe you all an apology. If youโve been refreshing the page looking for post-game breakdowns from the Sharks and Senators matchups this past weekend, you probably noticed a distinct lack of content. I didnโt fall off the face of the earth, I promise.
I got completely mired in the final stages of launching the Mitten Sports Talk Merch Store (official drop coming soon), and between e-commerce setup, designs, and fulfillment logistics, the keyboard took a back seat for a few days.
Ironically, one of the new designs reads โHockey Is Different Hereโ โ and itโs hard to argue right now. The Detroit Red Wings have won six of their last seven, sitting firmly in a playoff spot and rolling with confidence.
Letโs rewind the tape.
Friday Night: Shark Hunting at LCA
Fridayโs matchup with the San Jose Sharks was a classic โtake care of businessโ game โ and while it wasnโt without drama, Detroit did exactly that in a 4โ2 win.
Alex DeBrincat opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the season on the power play, but San Jose answered with goals from Will Smith and Collin Graf to briefly take control.
No panic. No scrambling.
Detroit tied it late in the second thanks to J.T. Compher, then leaned on leadership in the third. Dylan Larkin jammed home the go-ahead goal midway through the period โ a gritty, captainโs goal if there ever was one.
The Monkey Off Kasperโs Back
The biggest moment came late.
Marco Kasper, who had been doing everything right except scoring, finally broke through with an empty-net goal โ snapping a 37-game drought. He also added an assist earlier, finishing with a two-point night that felt like a genuine turning point.
You could see the relief. You could feel it.
Sunday: Rallying Past Ottawa
Sundayโs matchup with the Ottawa Senators tested Detroitโs resolve.
Down 2โ0 less than five minutes in, the Wings steadied themselves. Rookie defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka delivered a massive power-play goal before intermission, setting the tone.
From there, Detroit took control.
Lucas Raymond tied it, James van Riemsdyk produced a highlight-reel power-play goal, and after Ottawa forced overtime, DeBrincat ended it 36 seconds in.
Thatโs how you bank points. With the win, Detroit reached the 30-win mark in 50 games โ the fastest theyโve reached the plateau since 2011-12 (46 GP).
Stat Capsule ๐
Weekend Results
- Fri: DET 4, SJ 2
- Sun: DET 4, OTT 3 (OT)
Team Trends
- Power-play goals in both games
- Comeback wins in both games
- 4-for-4 on points
Player Highlights
- DeBrincat: 2 goals, OT winner
- Raymond: 1G, 5A over two games
- Kasper: Goal + assist, drought snapped
Looking Ahead: Toronto on Deck
Now comes the test.
Detroit heads north to face the Toronto Maple Leafs, chasing a season sweep of an Original Six rival. Toronto is banged up, desperate, and dangerous โ which makes this one anything but routine.
A win would send a loud message.
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET
#LGRW
๐คFood for Thought
Tampa Bay has been on a tear, winning 13 of its past 14 games, and it has two games in hand on the Wings. Do you think Detroit can keep pace and overtake them? Drop a comment below or join the conversation in the Red Wings Wheelhouse โ where fans break down every game and every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets โ the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
