#RedWings main group on ice. Don’t see Fabbri and Zadina out there, in addition to Ryan, Svechnikov and Helm, who were previously labeled “unfit to play.” pic.twitter.com/bABByWPF3X
Fabbri and Zadina may just be resting up, Ryan Svechnikov and Helm seem a little more serious
Season 2 episode one of “The Winged Wheel” was pretty much a quick “catch up” from the COVID shutdown in March up until the start of training camp. The additions of Bobby Ryan, Troy Stecher, Marc Staal, John Merrill, Greiss and Namestnikov were rehashed (all excited to be here) as well as the development of Zadina. Mantha sounds hungry for the team to move forward and the energy levels are positive. Clips of Scotty Bowman, Brian Burke and others talking about Yzerman’s approach and Detroit’s improvement pop up throughout. Good watch, looking forward to episode 2.
My notes and Summary of the Red and White scrimmage are below. Enjoy!
First period
To summarize the first period, Mantha is a beast. He scores an even strength goal and a short handed goal. On the first goal (5:17). Larkin had cranked up the tempo (again) and Hicketts made a fantastic defensive play in the neutral zone, stripping the puck and sending it back to Bertuzzi to set up the goal. Hicketts looks really good as well.
Mantha’s short handed goal saw he and Larkin breakout as a 2 on 1 with Larkin driving the net and backhanding the puck to Mantha for a beautiful finish. Really exciting to see these guys clicking again.
At 14:43 Larkin Line jumps on, Larkin takes tempo up a notch, drives hard into the o zone. Hicketts on D made exceptional play in neutral zone leading to Mantha goal. LARMANZZI looks really good.
Team white gets power play opportunity, Mantha on PK does a nice job clearing the puck. Bertuzzi and Hickets on next pk unit and did a nice job.
Namestnikov has a beautiful break out that Greiss stopped, Mantha scores short handed on a breakaway with Larkin. Wow. Mantha 2 goals on 2 shots with a regular and shorty.
Elson looks good on the ice and gets a shot on net at 9:00 after a nice pass by Gagner.
Team White gets second PP at 9:30 (Dekeyser). Hicketts makes a nice physical play to clear the puck. Really looks good out there. Greiss makes another good save at 10:26. Brome and Namestnikov both on PP unit, look really good on possessions and passing, just didn’t convert.
Zadina/Fabbri/Rasmussen out for Red after PK. Zadina makes a slick take away in O zone and gets some nice passes in. Doesn’t convert, but really nice shift.
Team Red Power Play at 13:09. Opening unit has Fabbri/Zadina and Hronek in forward position. Fabbri really good on faceoff, Zadina makes some creative plays. Really looking confident. Switch to Larmanzzi. Looks good, no conversion. Some good play making, Mantha comes close to getting his third goal with about 2 second left.
2nd period
To Summarize the 2nd period, LARMANZZI just takes over the ice when they’re out there. Zadina and Fabbri seem to be rotating in different wingers. Those two are looking so dangerous, and Zadina was finally rewarded with a goal at the end of the second. Hicketts is the most noticeable defenseman in this game. He is really defending well, and gets rewarded with a nice goal. The puck was skittering up toward the blue line, Hicketts skates in, turns and slaps it. That’s a tough play, usually D will steady the puck and clean it off. It deflected off a team white defender, but the presence of mind to make that play (Shanny used to do so well at shooting a puck without settling). Hicketts always gives everything he’s got. He could take a 3rd pair job one day. Taro Hirose got a breakaway and scored a beautify for Team White’s lone tally. His original stint in Detroit was really promising, if he can find his way back to making smart plays he could contend for a fourth line spot.
Hronek flexes some offensive muscle and scores team red’s third goal. He brings a lot fo the table.
Bertuzzi gets the 4th goal at 9:00. Lashoff set up with a shot. Red up 4-0. Hirose comes back with a really nice breakaway!! Hirose’s first stint in Detroit saw him with almost a point per game for the first several. Would be a boost to see him find his game again.
At 14:30 Hicketts rips a shot from the point (didn’t even settle the puck, skated from the neutral zone, wind up and rip. Really impressive) and it goes off a defender and in. 5-1 team red. Hicketts always works his butt off, glad to see him rewarded.
Team white tries to respond, but Greiss is just locked in. Not seeing many chances against and staying sharp. Namestnikov and Brome come on and stir things up. Gagner (red team) blocks a shot. Really impressive.
LARMANZZI has a really good shift at 17:30, they just take over and create. Larkin is a puck hound. Staal defends Mantha really well.
Zadina scores team red’s 6th right at the end of the period. He did a rip from the circle and it was beautiful. He has Detroit’s best shot from those low circles. Mantha, to me, has the best overall shot in different situations. Zadina and Fabbri have created all night long and good to see Zadina rewarded.
Third Period:
Summary - much tighter checking period. Final score was 7-2. Team Red (probably either Rasmussen or Larkin) scored off a bizarre net mouth scramble. Rasmussen looked really good tonight, played on the wing for Fabbri/Zadina. That line caused problems all night, and really looked creative. Nielsen scored a tally for team White off of a nice rebound. The 6 on 5 OT saw an empty net goal from Hirose as well as a nice shot from Hronek. If those goals count on the regular s score the final tally was 8-3. A lot of fun to watch, much better pace than the last scrimmage.
Someone from Team Red scored at 12:00, impossible to tell who yet. It was a net mouth play/deflection. Rasmussen and Larkin were both involved, was just after power play expired. 7-1
Nielsen scores at 13:42 with a nice give and go play. 7–2 Red Team
At around 17:55 Bertuzzi enters O zone and makes a beautiful drop pass to Mantha. Looks like Mo wants the hat trick. Didn’t materialize, but nice to see creativity and flow with the top line. Greiss makes a really good save at around 1:00 left. Very aggressive as Cholowski takes a shot just outside of the slot. Brome is really strong for team White. Good puck handling and retrieval.
6 on 5 OT Red 6
Hirose scores EN for White. Hronek makes a beautiful shot from the point for team red. 8-3.
6 on 5 OT White 6
With 1 min left Namestnikov makes a beautiful spin move to get away from Bertuzzi. No score in this period. Greiss really gives team Red a lot of good saves. Bernier didn’t have much help, basically felt like Detroit playing GR.
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