The Breakdown: Husso Makes 44 Saves in Red Wings Win Over Tampa

The Tampa Bay Lightning may have struck twice with a pair of goals late in the third period. But the Detroit Red Wings didn’t wilt under the pressure.

Ville Husso never broke a sweat, turning aside 28 of 30 shots in the third period and the Red Wings skated away with a 4-2 victory, a statement victory for a team tormented by Tampa over the years. He would finish with 44 saves on 46 shots.

“He’s been amazing all year,” Adam Erne said post game on Bally Sports Detroit. “Probably the MVP for us all season so far.”

Husso’s performance was backed up by depth scoring from all four lines.

Jonatan Berggren continues to make his case to stay in Detroit, getting their second goal of the game. It’s Berggren’s eighth point in 12 games with the team and was another showing from the young forward that his spot is all but secure with the big club.

Before Berggren, it was Michael Rasmussen scoring his fourth of the season. Perhaps the most impressive of the three was  Erne turning and firing from his own circle into the empty net. The forward chalked the goal up to a little bit of everything.

“I just shot it down there,” Erne said postgame on Bally Sports Detroit. “I like to say it was skill, but a little luck, too.”

David Perron would finish it off with with an empty netter, completing a full four-line scoring effort for the Red Wings.

.@DP_57 💪 pic.twitter.com/P2essk5QJg

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 7, 2022

Much was said and written about the Derek Lalonde – Jeff Blashill switch that saw the former ascent to the Red Wings’ top job and the latter fill in as Jon Cooper’s assistant.

Round one goes to Detroit’s new bench boss.

“Nice for him to come back here and get a win for him,” Husso said on the Bally Sports Detroit postgame. “Our structure and all that stuff, it helps us. Guys did a good job tonight and they’ve been doing a good job the whole season.”

Red Wings Facts and Observations

• Hronek and Kubalik continue their contributions, both notching an assist on Rasmussen’s goal. It’s Kubalik’s third straight game with a point and Hronek’s third point (0-3) in his last two.
• With the, Lalonde’s Red Wings are 13-7-5. Blashill’s team after 25 games was 13-9-3. Detroit would go on to lose 10 of its next 13 games after that. With a tough gamut of games ahead, the Red Wings have a challenge before them.
• The Red Wings didn’t have a single giveaway through the first two periods of play.
• Tampa Bay absolutely owned the third period, outshooting Detroit 24-5 when they finally beat Husso to pull within a goal. They would win the shots differential 30-7 but ultimately lose the game.
• Heading into the game, Detroit was 2-17-1 against Tampa Bay in its last 20 games.