Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Post-Game: Kasper Not Out of Place on Top Line

DETROIT — In addition to improving the offense and defense and boosting morale, new Detroit Red Wings coach Todd McLellan is showing himself to be prophetic.
After Marco Kasper scored an empty-net goal for the game winner on Friday, McLellan offered that it might be the confidence boost Kasper needed to ignite his offensive game.
“You look at (Dylan Larkin),” McLellan said. “…he got the empty net goal (against Pittsburgh) and felt good about it and took off.’
Just over three minutes into the next game, Sunday, Kasper deflects a Larkin shot into the net to launch the Red Wings to a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken for their seventh consecutive win. Kasper finished with a goal and an assist for his second consecutive two-point game.
The Red Wings would like to see Kasper develop the scoring productivity necessary to be the team’s second-line center, and McLellan is showing faith in him by playing him on the top line with Larkin and Lucas Raymond. Before his pair of two-point games, Kasper had gone 15 games without a point.
“I think Kasper has some real good offensive instincts,” said McLellan, who has also used him in final minute of close games.
Larkin said he appreciates Kasper’s speed on the line. “And he’s tenacious on the puck, so it’s been good,” Larkin said. “And our whole team, everyone was skating with the puck and making plays and hanging onto it down low. So it’s good to see Marco contribute and a lot of guys tonight contribute on the score sheet.”Â
Kasper said his plan is to listen to what Larkin and Raymond tell him.
“Yesterday in practice they told me to go to the net and good things are going to happen and I mean, it worked out just fine,” Kasper said. “I’m trying to go on the hunt, win pucks on the forecheck, just back check, just doing the best I can to find these guys. (Then) good plays are going to happen. “
‘Gus’ Got Going
Defenseman Erik Gustafsson is symbolic of the reality that players are raising their games with McLellan now in charge. Gustafsson hadn’t found his game, or purpose, on this team before McLellan’s arrival.
The Swedish puck mover scored a goal against Seattle and boasts six points in the seven-game winning streak. Gustafsson only totaled five points before then. He is playing more confidently under McLellan on both sides of the puck.
“He’s been outstanding, really,” McLellan said. “The knock on him will always be, well, can he defend? Can he defend? He’s doing an outstanding job of that. He’s bought into taking care of that first. And when you do that, it kind of opens up the other end as well. Vision, running a power play, offensive confidence. All those things are coming out now. And I think that’s the player that the club was looking for when they signed him. And maybe more importantly, that’s the player that Gus knows he is, and it’s finally coming out. “
Ice Chips
The Red Wings’ 4-0 lead in the first 7:53 of regulation was Detroit’s fastest four goals to start a game since Dec. 4, 1987 vs. Chicago (7:22)… Kasper and Compher scored 11 seconds apart in the first period against Seattle. It marked Detroit’s fastest two goals since Anthony Mantha and Taro Hirose scored eight seconds apart on March 31, 2019 vs. Boston.