As the Detroit Red Wings finalize preparations for the 2023-24 season, they do so having just benefitted from a stretch of valuable experience.
They open the season vs. the Devils on Thursday in New Jersey, the host the Tampa Bay Lightning two days later. Those are two highly skilled teams that will test just how good the Wings are, right away.
The Wings capped a 5-2-1 exhibition schedule by needing to rally after falling behind by a pair of goals in their preseason finale. Credit the Toronto Maple Leafs’ largely AHL lineup for playing hard and forcing the Wings into that situation. Everything about Saturday’s 4-3 final turned out to be beneficial as the Wings inch closer to the regular season — and here, thanks to the observations of newcomer Christian Fischer, is why.
Exhibition observations: Red Wings newcomer Daniel Sprong, goalies are solid additions
Let’s begin at the end
With 2:45 to play in the third period, Wings defenseman Jake Walman took a penalty and the Leafs pulled their goaltender, forcing the Wings to play two skaters short. It was 4-2 at the time. That gave Moritz Seider, Olli Määttä, Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher an opportunity to jell as the first unit asked to deal with such a situation. The second group had Dylan Larkin, Michael Rasmussen, Ben Chiarot and Shayne Gostisbehere; they were on the ice when the Leafs scored to pull within a goal. Seider’s trip to the penalty box at 19:31 forced another two-skater disadvantage on the Wings.
That was a good exercise, regardless of the opponent’s lineup.
“If it’s a 7-0 game, either way, what do you really get out of it?” Fischer said. “We are going to be in a one-goal game with the other team’s goalie pulled, and we have to figure out how to win the game. A lot of these games in this league come down to that last couple minutes, special teams especially. That’s a 6-on-4, that’s not easy to do. It’s great to work on that stuff, because that can happen on Thursday. It’s good to get those reps in and watch video on it and also just to feel it, so if it does happen Thursday, we just did it four days ago and have that confidence.”
Identity line
Fischer skated on a line with Joe Veleno (who had an excellent preseason) and Klim Kostin. Coach Derek Lalonde still says all the combinations are “a work in progress” but that trio looks like they could build something. Fischer (6 feet, 208 pounds), Veleno (6-1, 201) and Klim (6-4, 232) bring size, physicality, and strong defensive play; they could be a line Lalonde will use when the team needs a shot of energy, or to calm things down after an opponent scores. The trio combined to make it 3-2 with 7 seconds to play in the second period.
“All three of us, I think, can make plays, can score goals,” Fischer said. “It’s an identity line. Me and Klimmy are two pretty big bodies; matching up against other team’s top lines is situational-based, but I think that’s going to play a big [role]. Newsy puts us out there, there’s a minute left in the period, and I think we spent the whole minute in their end, and Joe ended up scoring. If you could ask anything of a line, that’s what you want. You want response after a goal. Definitely an identity type of line, bring some energy.”
Nice to have met you
The September week spent in Traverse City afforded time in the afternoon and evenings to golf, fish and go to dinner. But even before the Wings officially gathered for training camp, there was an effort to speed up acclimating the many newcomers, which include forwards Compher, Kostin, Fischer, Alex DeBrincat and Daniel Sprong, defensemen Gostisbehere, Justin Holl and Jeff Petry, and goalies Alex Lyon and James Reimer.
“A big shoutout to the leadership group here, starting with Larks,” Fischer said. “They did such a good job bringing us all together as a team. I could make a list of all the things we did outside the rink, even in the rink. It’s a fun team, I can tell you that. We get along well and that goes a long way on the ice. Guys want to work for each other. Golfed a bunch, multiple Saturday and Sunday football days, probably seven or eight team dinners. To do that early on, there’s no adjustment period when we go into New Jersey. We’re all comfortable with each other on a personal level.”
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Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings primed for regular season, says Christian Fischer
