Detroit Red Wings: Rasmussen Nets OT Winner Preseason Game One

The Wings first-round pick from 2017 Michael Rasmussen delivered the tap in game-winning goal last night for the Detroit Red Wings.

It was only the first preseason game, but many Detroit Red Wings players are competing for roster positions.  The competition makes for exciting hockey for Detroit even though it is only preseason.

Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi skated as the Wings top line.  The trio had a solid finish to last season as a unit.  Bertuzzi is the player on this line who could give his opponents a headache.  If Bertuzzi starts to finish with any type of consistency it lengthens the Detroit Red Wings line-up.  Bertuzzi was crashing the net tonight and working hard down low.

I was a little disappointed with that top line.  Pittsburgh did not have Crosby, Malkin and Phil Kessel in the line-up.  I was expecting the Larkin line to dominate the evening.  Dylan Larkin was a -1 and Tyler Bertuzzi was a -2 on the night.

Dylan Larkin, Danny DeKeyser and Justin Abdelkader all played with an “A” last evening.

Dennis Cholowski was a bright spot last night for the Red Wings.  Cholowski ended the night with 23:33 minutes played.  That was by far the most of any Red Wings skater.  Cholowski recorded 2 assists and was a plus one.

Cholowski rang the bar in overtime as the 4 on 3 Detroit power play was expiring.  The puck after finding iron saw its way to Dylan Larkin’s tape.  Jarry, the Penguins netminder, was swimming searching for the rebound and Larkin found Rasmussen wide open at the top of the crease.  Ras buried it, and the Red Wings prevailed.

Defenceman and Grosse Point, MI native Trevor Hamilton also scored for the Wings along with Jussi Jokinen.  The Pens got goals from Derek Grant and Ryan Haggerty.  The Detroit Red Wings outshot the Pens to a tune of 44 to 30.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry played the entire game for Pittsburgh and was sensational at times.  The Jokinen’s goal was scored off of a juicy rebound that Jarry would like to have back.  Other than that the Pens should be happy with his performance.

Jimmy Howard made 25 saves on 27 shots.  Harri Sateri must have had chilly feet last night.  Sateri only was faced with 3 shots.  He saved them all.  Sateri and Howard split the net last night.

It was just the first preseason game, we can’t get to high or low about the play yet, but the power play was out of sorts at times.  Understanding the top two units, Dan Bylsma will have at his dispense were not playing last night as a group.

The Detroit Red Wings hope to feature Thomas Vanek, Andreas Athanasiou, Filip Zadina tonight as the Wings host the Chicago Blackhawks.  Filip Hronek will be running the power play tonight.  Expect Hronek to play 23 or so minutes tonight, similar to what Cholowski played last evening.