Cross Hanas is doing what a prospect should this time of year: Stand out.
The draftee from 2020 (55th overall) had a goal and an assist Saturday as the Detroit Red Wings matched a lineup featuring their top stars against a Washington Capitals squad light on NHLers. The Wings used their power play to build a three-goal lead and used two goals from Dylan Larkin to win, 5-2, at Little Caesars Arena.
Alex DeBrincat set up Larkin’s goals. Marco Kasper showed his feisty side when he tussled with ex-Wing Anthony Mantha after being slashed with minutes to spare in the third period..
Ville Husso got his first start of the exhibition season, playing a little more than half the game and making 15 saves on 16 shots before ceding the net to Michael Hutchinson.
Robby Fabbri did not finish the game because of an upper-body injury.
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Prospects get looks
Nate Danielson, the team’s top pick (No. 9 overall) in this summer’s draft, started the game on a line with Fabbri and Andrew Copp. Kasper, the Wings’ top pick in 2022 (No. 8) centered a line with Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Söderblom. Hanas put in hard work to put the Wings up 1-0: He had the puck in the Capitals’ zone and lost his balance attempting to spin around, but still managed to set up Austin Czarnik’s goal, at 7:19 of the first period.
Hanas’ big night
Hanas added a goal to his evening’s output at 12:20 of the first period, when he was moved up to play in Fabbri’s position on Copp’s line. Hanas used a wrist shot to put the Wings up, 4-1, netting his first goal of the preseason. Hanas was a standout performer during the prospects tournament that preceded training camp, and has continued to look like a prospect determined to move up the depth chart, making smart plays and taking advantage of his minutes.
Power play clicks
The Capitals obliged with two penalties in the first period, giving the Wings the opportunity to fine-tune their units. That Dylan Larkin’s group — him, DeBrincat, Fabbri, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider — converted was to be expected, given their skill set; it was Seider with a slap shot, at 13:12. Larkin scored at 2:46 of the second period, finishing a set-up by DeBrincat just a hair after a 53-second five-on-three advantage had expired. But the man advantage time also afforded fielding Danielson, Raymond and Söderblom, along with Berggren and Jake Walman.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings zing Washington Capitals, 5-2, in preseason
