Red Wings-Lightning quick take: In a mean and nasty game, Kasper, Rasmussen, Talbot hold off Kucherov and the Bolts

The Detroit Red Wings looked for revenge against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night, one week removed from a 5-1 loss to the Bolts in Tampa Bay.

On Saturday night, in a bruising battle of a game, Marco Kasper scored the game-winning goal at 9:55 of the 2nd period, Cam Talbot made 28 spectacular stops, Detroit blocked 22 more Tampa Bay shots, and Michael Rasmussen scored an empty-netter while being pitchforked by Nikita Kucherov into the frame of the goal to give Detroit a 2-0 victory over the Bolts…And a hobbled Rasmussen.

It was that kind of dirty all night long, with the Bolts and Wings at each other’s throats for two of the three periods, and while Nikita Kucherov played 26:14–only 20 seconds less than Moritz Seider’s skater-leading 26:34–the Red Wings were able to keep him and the rest of the Bolts off the scoreboard.

Detroit is now only 4 points behind the Lightning in the Eastern Conference standings, though Tampa has a game in hand.

In pregame warmups, Cam Talbot and Andrei Vasilevskiy led their respective teams out onto the ice at Little Caesars Arena:

Tampa Bay had a “game-time decision” in returning defenseman Erik Cernak, who would probably replace defenseman Max Crozer, but as Cernak was a “go,” Crozier stayed in the lineup, with forward Cam Atkinson coming out, and the Lightning going with 11 forwards and 7 “D”:

The Red Wings announced their lineup just before the game:

The starters and scratches were as follows:

In the 1st period, Detroit started the top line of Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper opposite the Bolts’ line of Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nikita Kucherov; on defense, it was Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider vs. Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh; in goal it was Cam Talbot vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Detroit and Tampa Bay faced off at center ice, and Larkin won the initial faceoff to Chiarot, who chipped to afford the Wings a chase. Kucherov and Hedman cleared, but Seider countered, and at center, Raymond and Larkin struggled to get through the offensive blueline, so the Bolts set up as Detroit changed 30 seconds into the 1st period.

Veleno raced up the gut and Compher was blocked, so Berggren and Edvinsson helped on D, but Tampa flicked the puck out via a high dump-out, and after Simon Edvinsson stumbled, he helped Berggren and Compher attack. Compher put the puck off the side of the goal, Erik Gustafsson battled at center, and Girgiensons pushed the puck into the offensive zone 1:40 in…

Detroit regrouped with Holl and Gustafsson cycling, with DeBrincat and then Tarasenko chased the dump-in, but Tampa chipped as Kucherov got double-shifted, and DeBrincat, Copp and a changing Raymond could not stop the Bolts from blazing in, though Hedman was hit by Seider, and the Bolts’ Hedman and Kucherov collided.

2:45 into the 1st, Kucherov went to the Bolts’ bench hobbling, but play continued, and Fischer, Soderblom and Rasmussen pushed the puck deep, regrouped at center, and battled down low, with Soderblom and Rasmussen cycling to the D for Edvinsson, down low to Soderblom, and he got the first shot off on Vasilevskiy at 3:40.

As play continued, the Lightning did a good job of pressuring the Wings’ from center ice on “north,” but they were also icing the puck regularly, so they were affording Detroit some unearned “zone time.”

Veleno got a good scoring chance off a turnover that Vasilevskiy stopped 4:40 into the 1st;

Tampa then cycled like nobody’s business and Talbot made one big stop at 5:00 against Kucherov, and Detroit struggled to clear the zone, but they did so;

Larkin fed Raymond 2-on-1 with Kasper, and Raymond took the shot, and was stopped by Vasilevskiy 5:30 in;

Tampa was winning faceoffs in their own zone, however, so that muted Detroit’s offensive push. By 6:00 into the 1st, they were 5-1 on faceoffs, and when they iced the puck 3 seconds later they pushed their faceoff record to 6-1.

Talbot made a good blocker stop on Cernak, and Detroit struggled to clear the zone, but they chipped a long shot in on Vasilevskiy and changed almost 7 minutes in;

Again, Larkin fed Raymond for a grind along the Bolts’ boards, SEIDER was fed in the high slot, and he fired through Guetnzel but Vasilevskiy saw the shot and made the stop.

Detroit was out-shooting Tampa 5-2 and out-attempting them 8-2 at the first TV timeout 7:20 in, but Tampa was 6-and-1 on faceoffs.

When play resumed, Detroit’s Berggren-Compher-Veleno line battled down low, and COMPHER was stifled by Vasilveskiy on a Berggren chip pass from the left wing corner;

Guentzel then fed Kucherov and TALBOT made a tremendous glove stop nearly 8:50 into the 1st, tapping the puck with the tip of his glove to deflect it over the net…

Tarasenko and Gustafsson connected to get the Wings’ 7th shot from the point, and Johansson and Edvinsson had to block AN EMPTY NET as Cirelli fired the puck through the empty net but wide with Talbot out of position…

Both teams were pushing hard to generate offensive chances, and it was fun to watch, but scary.

Raymond walked to Larkin in the offensive zone and Larkin fired a shot into Vasilevskiy’s stick, and then Larkin got a slot chance, but was slashed heavily and prevented from shooting the puck at 11:15.

When play resumed after a TV timeout, Larkin bumped Hedman while forechecking, Raymond and Kasper cycled with Larkin, and while the Lightning cleared their zone, Detroit was holding the Bolts south of center ice for the most part;

Of course then the Bolts worked their way into the Wings’ zone and generated a scoring chance on Talbot, who made a long-distance stop at 12:51;

Edvinsson got very lucky as Glendening tried to take his head off while cycling in the offensive zone, and Tampa nearly got a great scoring chance as a result–and Johansson was picked off as well, but there was no call there, either.

Jake Guentzel fed Kucherov and KUCHEROV CLANGED THE PUCK OFF THE GOALPOST after somehow escaping both Seider and Chiarot in the Wings’ slot at 14:45…

Tampa continued to cycle as the Wings’ fourth line and 3rd D pair came out, and Crozier got a point shot off, Tampa cycled hard against the Wings’ side boards, and Edvinsson almost got his head taken off again as he skated backward into a check;

The shots were only 9-6 by the 16:00 mark, and Raymond deked and dangled his way through the Bolts’ D, but was stifled by Vasilevskiy…

Johansson fed DeBrincat who dropped to Copp in the very high slot, and Copp fired a a long-distance bomb wide of Vasilevskiy, and then Tarasenko was denied by the Bolts’ goalie as well…

After a heavy collision with Elmer Soderblom, Max Crozier exited the Bolts’ bench with 2:45 remaining in the 1st…

A bad turnover by Tarasenko nearly gave Zemgus Girgensons a tremendous scoring chance at the right wing half boards, but Johansson made a masterful block with 2:25 remaining;

Seider then chipped a long puck into Marco Kasper’s midsection. Kasper took the puck out of his gear, pushed it onto his stick in the Bolts’ end, and he got a good scoring chance on Vasilevskiy;

Raymond got a shot off on the next offensive zone draw that Vasilevskiy stopped;

Talbot blockered away a Bolts point shot with 35 left in the 1st, the Lightning continued to cycle, and Chaffee, Glendening and Cernak worked over the Wings pretty heavily–with the Soderblom line and Seider and Chiarot on the ice–but the Wings held the Lightning’s hard-working 4th line to the boards, and the 1st period ended tied 0-0.

In the 2nd period, with the Lightning basically double-shifting Kucherov on the second night of a back-to-back slate of games, the Wings were a little busy…

So Larkin’s line started against Cirelli, Hagel and Kucherov, Larkin won the faceoff to Chiarot and the Wings chipped, but Vasilevskiy chased for Cernak, Hagel dumped, the Bolts were repelled and Larkin got Rayond through center ice, Raymond deked and dangled, Chiarot chipped around the back boards, and the Bolts took over at 42 seconds of the 2nd.

Detroit changed, and Berggren had to avoid a hit from Hedman, who was head-hunting…

Edvinsson hand-passed in the defensive zone to clear the puck, but Tampa chipped and changed, so Detroit regrouped with Veleno, Berggren and Compher chasing after a pinching Hedman, and Paul tapped a puck into Talbot at 1:41.

Tampa won the next faceoff in the offensive zone and cycled, but DeBrincat backchecked and cleared the zone;

Then Chiarot battled Hagel and Seider wrapped the puck out of trouble and down into the Lightning zone, Perbix reversed and Hagel, Cirelli and Asimov bumped a Wing, Copp found Seider but passed into his skates 2-on-1, Seider reversed for Fischer at the point, he was stopped, and Holl’s blast was stopped as well.

In the interim, Tarasenko got hit heavily and left for the locker room after Eyssimont hit him at the Bolts’ bench…

So 3 minutes in, the Wings’ fourth line gave up a scoring chance to Glendening on the backhand, but Detroit cleared the zone once, twice, and Tampa flicked the puck into the Bolts’ own bench as Tarasenko returned with a bloody mouth. He may have lost a tooth.

As play continued, Hagel cycled for Kucherov, he got away from Edvinsson and Talbot made a nice stop on Cernak from the point, through a screen.

The Wings won the next d-zone draw, and Tampa raced back into Detroit’s zone, with Talbot stopping Hedman and Chiarot clearing for Copp and then Seider…

Chiarot pinched, dropped for Tarasenko, and Detroit covered up at center ice;

A bad Holl turnover yielded a stop by Talbot and some help needed as Gustafsson helped Talbot cover the puck sans whistle…

So the Red Wings regrouped, going up 3 on 2 and Gustafsson fed Veleno for a FANTASTIC scoring chance that Vasilevskiy gobbled up 2-on-2.

As play continued, the Bolts were hemming the Wings in their own zone, and some 6:34 into the 2nd, Detroit was really struggling to help Talbot out.

Tampa was out-shooting Detroit 6-2 in 6:34 of 2nd period time.

Off the draw, Point ripped a shot wide of Talbot, and Kucherov, Point and Guentzel worked vs. the Larkin line and Seider/Chiarot…

Talbot made a nice stop but the Lightning sold a penalty and Marco Kasper had to sit for hooking as a result. Kasper sat at 7:19 of the 2nd.

On the PK, Detroit lost the initial faceoff, and Kucherov cycled down low and back to the D, Hedman was blocked by Compher, who was stung, badly…

Veleno and Edvinsson and Holl worked to help Compher, who could barely stand, and Hedman was blocked again, this time by Edvinsson, and then Holl blocked Kucherov.

Detroit lost the next draw, and Larkin stole from Raddysh, Larkin fired, was stopped, his rebound was taken by Guentzel, and Detroit was called for a hook and Guentzel went for diving as Larkin hooked him.

Larkin high-sticked Guentzel, actually, and he was called for that; Guentzel was called for flopping.

With 52 seconds in the general PK, it was a quick PP for Tampa Bay at 8:28 of the 2nd.

The Lightning won the draw, cycled to Kucherov rw side, he fed Point but Chiarot blocked that, Point got the puck and sent to Raddysh, to Kucherov, to Point blocked, and cleared well by Copp with 17 left in the 5-on-4 PK;

Detroit killed the penalty, and returned to 5-on-5 play.

It was a game where the first goal felt monumental, and Marco Kasper got it! J.T. Compher ripped a long shot toward the goal, and with Kasper screening, he tipped the shot past Vasilevskiy to make it 1-0 at 9:55 of the 2nd.

Kasper scored from Compher and Fischer at 9:55 of the 2nd. 1-0.

THEN SODERBLOM ALMOST SCORED off a Rasmussen pass at 10:15, putting the puck off the goalpost…

After a TV timeout, Compher got clipped high by Lilleberg, interfering with Compher, and the referees called Lilleberg for “interference” at 11:21 of the 2nd.

Detroit went to the power play.

On the power play, Detroit won the PP draw to Seider, Larkin was stopped by Vasilevskiy, Raymond, Seider, Tarasenko and DeBrincat cycled for Raymond, to Seider, to Tarasenko, to Seider, shot wide, Raymond spun, Larkin cycled to Tarasenko shot stopped, Raymond to Seider for Raymond down low DeBrincat lateral through the crease and Tarasenko, Seider for Raymond, Larkin to Raymond, DeBrincat for Larkin stopped Tarasenko stopped Raymond cycles, for Tarasenko to Seider, walks, regroups, to Larkin for Tarasenko booble regroup to Raymond lw side, down low to DeBrincat, to Seider shot blocked, Raymond takes, walks, for Seider, loses it and up comes Girgensons but Larkin pokes it away to SAVE A BREAKAWAY AGAINST…

Larkin circles at center and looks as Detroit changes, Kasper chugs up the gut and hips, Vasilevskiy sends around, held in and tipped wide by Vasilevskiy, Johansson bumps a Bolt, Hagel goes in 1 on 3, Soderblom races through center, in but pulled away from the puck…

6:05 left 2nd period, PP over.

Then Talbot stopped Guentzel at one end, and Vasilevskiy gobbled a puck up at the other end for a TV timeout with 5:44 remaining in the 2nd.

When play resumed, Detroit lost a faceoff, but tried to cycle in the offensive zone, and Raymond took a hard shoulder check, but stayed in the game;

Veleno fed Albert Johansson for a fine chance with 4:25 left in the 2nd, and Joe Veleno got into the face of Cernak for dumping Berggren after the play had ended;

So things were getting a little mean between the teams.

Kucherov, Point and Guentzel came out, but Johansson gapped up on Kucherov to stifle his time and space;

Hedman raced in and tipped an Eyssimont shot in on Talbot with 2:50 left;

Raymond went the other way, was stopped, and Larkin and Holl combined for another shot that Vasilevskiy saw and stopped with 2:32 remaining…

Seider, Chiarot, Soderblom, Rasmussen and Fischer battled Guentzel on the Hagel line, and they took a while to clear the zone;

Talbot stopped a chip-in by the Bolts with 37.5 left in the 2nd, and Detroit brought out Larkin’s line vs. Cirelli, Hagel, and of course Kucherov, and Detroit won the draw, Larkin chipped and Kasper chased, Larkin and Seider worked the puck to Raymond, in skates, to stick, held by Hagel, Larkkin for Seider 10 left to Chiarot shot stopped rebound Kasper in the corner to the slot but Raymond was held up and THEN RAYMOND AND LARKIN WERE BOTH TAKEN DOWN (Raymond by Hagel), WITH HEDMAN SQUARING OFF AGAINST LARKIN; RADDYSH WAS HELD OFF AS SEIDER GRABBED CIRELLI WITH CHIAROT’S HELP, SEIDER DEHELMETED CIRELLI, and CAPTAIN TO CAPTAIN LARKIN AND HEDMAN SCREAMED AT EACH OTHER.

The 2nd period ended with the teams peeled away from each other.

In the 3rd period, Hagel and Hedman got penalties for roughing at 20:00, while Raymond was called for roughing for Detroit at 20:00, giving Detroit a 2-minute PP to start the 3rd.

SO: On the power play, without Lucas Raymond…

Dylan Larkin drew in for the opening faceoff at center ice, he tied things up but the Bolts won the draw and chipped up to Cirelli, back to Cernak and down the ice it went.

Seider skated up the gut dropped to Larkin behind the net and he walked through center chipped and Vasilevskiy played it but Cernak was blocked, Larkin took, to Seider lw point blocked by Paul…

Tarasenko set up and skated through center, over for Larkin, chip around for Compher, Tarasenko ran, Larkin raced up and in came Cirelli but TALBOT STONED HIM with Seider trailing…

45 left PP 18:45 left 3rd and Talbot played for Berggren to Kasper to Copp lw side for Berggren point for Gustafsson to Kasper to Gustafsson tipped wide by Copp, Rasmussen helped but Lilleberg was blocked by Kasper, Glendening fell on the puck and then Girgensons cleared.

No dice on the PP.

The Wings brought out Veleno, Fischer and Soderblom, and they worked with Johansson and Gustafsson and Talbot made a big stop on Kucherov;

Hagel was stopped by Talbot;

Up came Veleno for Soderblom, held up a bit, reverse to Edvinsson, to the net, stopped, Fischer jamming, along the lw half boards, to Chiarot to Seider, walking the line, to Chiarot shot tipped stopped, Soderlbom lateral blocked out of play by Vasilevskiy’s stick.

Sorry for the play-by-play-by-play.

Anyway, Vasilevskiy’s vision was tremendous and Detroit had to take it away.

Tampa negated an icing call and Talbot stopped Cernak;

Then Tarasenko went the other way, but Vasilevskiy saw the puck and gobbled it up.

Tampa continued to win more faceoffs than Detroit, too, which was a problem.

A turnover for Raymond yielded a shot that went wide and up came Kucherov and Hagel, Cirelli fed Cernak, but up came Raymond lw side deke but blocked by McDonagh…

Guentzel dropped the puck back and Tampa Bay had too many men on the ice, so with 14:44 remaining, Tampa Bay got a bench minor for too many men on the ice. 5:16 3rd period.

ON the power play, Larkin lost the initial faceoff but Raymond held hte line walked for Seider for Raymond across to Tarasenko battling away but he lost it and Seider regrouped twice at center ice, dropped to Raymond walking into the zone, Tarasenko tapped for Larkin, held DeBrincat to Seider, Seider for Raymond lw side sticks for Seider for Tarasenko rw to Seider center point to Tarasenko for Larkin sticking looking for Tarasenko below the goal line to Seider one-timer Raymond stopped, DeBrincat pass blocked through the seam, Seider for Tarasenko shot wide Raymond lw 44 left PP Tarasenko from Seider to Seider stopped…

34 left PP Raymond to Larkin for Raymond blueline lw side DeBrincat battles now Seider stops Girgensons held in to Raymond for Larkin through him Cernak clears, 10 left PP.

Detroit 0-for-3 on the PP, Tampa 0-for-1, 12:43 left 3rd.

With the puck bouncing all over the bouncy Little Caesars ice, Talbot held the puck with 12:07, but the Bolts chipped a puck in from the other side of center ice, and that meant that Detroit could not change.

So Cirelli, Hagel and Kucherov dialed in vs. Compher, who won the draw, Johansson flicked it down the ice, and Detroit partially changed, but Kucherov fed to Raddysh, block, Soderblom battles, loses it, Kucherov hips shot stopped rebound wide by Hedman, held in again…

Tampa cycles to Kucherov again, to Hedman blast stopped rebound to the corner, Johansson for Soderblom, cleared, 11:15 left 3rd. WHEW.

WOW TALBOT STOPS GUENTZEL AND JOHANSSON BATTLES JOHNSSON as CIRELLI AND EDVINSSON HOLD EACH OTHER BACK.

So Edvinsson was called for a penalty–roughing–at 9:10, for simply pulling Cirelli away from Talbot.

ON the penalty-kill, Larkin tied it up but the Bolts pushed the faceoff past Raddysh to Tampa’s blueline.

The Lightning attacked, with Chafee feeding Raddysh, to Guentzel to Raddysh shot blocked by Seider into the netting.

1:37 left PK, Guentzel draws in vs. Larkin, Larkin kicks for Seider and Chiarot, cleared and Larkin goes off…

10:15 left 3rd 1:26 left PK Bolts chug up Point drops for Kucherov spilts drops for Point for Raddysh for Kucherov shot stopped rebound loose Compher and Rasmussen clear down the ice…

55 left PK Kucherov looks over for a teammate and back to Hedman to Kucherov walks lw side now blocked Hedman shot blocked Talbot, Up comes Copp for VELENO could have broken away but Paul blocks him.

Paul walks deep vs. Chiarot Seider pokes Rasmussen backhands once twice does clear the zone.

Bolts chip around Seider reverses is tripped heavily and Detroit clears off a 3:35 shift for Kucherov.

PK OVER.

Glendening won a draw from Larkin in the D-zone but Talbot stopped it and the Bolts flicked it into the seats with 8:08 remaining…

As play resumed, Kasper worked his ass off to clear the zone, but up came the Bolts, Detroit repelled them, and back in came the Bolts…

Kucherov was out-worked by Seider, and Kasper cleared the zone again…

Kucherov was on the bench with a stung left hand with 6:20 remaining, and Detroit was doing its best to get the buzzing crowd, doing the wave, something to cheer about.

But Tampa was doing a masterful job of stealing pucks at center ice, and so Detroit blocked, blocked and blocked more shots;

Seider made a beautiful block with 5:10 left to stifle a Bolts centering pass, stick-checking the puck;

McDonagh gave the puck away and Rasmussen fed Veleno, who fired the puck wide of Vasilevskiy;

Then Edvinsson clanged a puck off the blocker of the Bolts’ goaltender;

DeBrincat and Johansson stopped Paul from breaking in, but he reversed to Raddysh with 3:50 left, Tarasenko and Copp cleared and up came DeBrincat, drop to Tarsenko to DeBRINCAT WIDE…

Seider held the line despite being dumped by Nick Paul…

Raymond and Larkin collided as well with 3:19 left, but emerged unscathed as we hit the final TV timeout of regulation time.

Play resumed and the Bolts doggedly pushed the puck up ice, Hagel was blocked off a body and Detroit blocked another shot with their sticks with 3:04 left…

Larkin tried to win a faceoff with Rasmussen and Compher, and the Wings bowled the puck out to center ice and changed as Veleno joined the fray…

And the Bolts pulled Vasilevskiy with 2:28 left in the 3rd.

ON the 6 on 5, Tampa won the faceoff to Kucherov, for Point, shot wide, Guentzel bumped wide, Raddysh to Hedman to Raddysh to hedman shot wide rolls wide cleared by Larkin but not out, Larkin dumped by Kucherov, Raddysh for Kucherov to POINT STONED BY TALBOT WITH 1:53 REMAINING.

Talbot had to dig the puck out of his gear, which gave Detroit a 25-second timeout…

Larkin lost the next draw, Raddysh for Hedman and back and forth, back and forth, Raddysh shot blocked rebound CLEARED AND TALBOT BLOCKERS AWAY THE SHOT, Cirelli to Hedman to Raddysh for Kucherov blocked Johansson now Point wide, Kucherov to Raddysh blocked, to Kucherov blocked by Larkin, Cirelli to Kucherov, to the line, Hedman walks to Raddysh, Kucherov to Guentzel for HEDMAN WIDE OF THE OPEN NET…

Kucherov for Guentzel tipped wide by Johansson, Rasmussen races up and chips it in as he falls into the net 2-0 DETROIT with 27.3 left…Kucherov tripped Rasmussen, who went off hobbling, but Detroit scored the goal.

Rasmussen scores 19:32 unassisted.

Detroit ground out the Bolts at the end of the game and DETROIT WON 2-0.

Statistics: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

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