Mondays.
Unless you’re that oddball or it’s a work holiday, Mondays aren’t something people look forward to. Yes, a new week could be a sign of a new start, but often times it’s the least appreciated day of the week.
There’s a whole song about it and everything. This Monday night, though, our ears filled with a different tune.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”(because I’ve listened to it so often, but I’m also not great with counting, so it makes for a poor combo). Yet, I love the song each time I hear it.
Detroit Red Wings give their fans one last win on home ice this season
Instead of staying home, plenty of Wings fans filled Little Caesars Arena to hear it one last time this season. The number of fans who attended impressed me.
For all the discourse and upset messages that I see all over social media, the barn rocked after every Red Wings’ goal.
Fortunately for Hockeytown, the young players put on a show.
Albert Johansson opened the scoring, flexing his surprising offensive skill. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond combined for six points, one goal and two assists each. Marco Kasper added an assist.
Everybody’s new punching bag, Jonatan Berggren showed again why he belongs in a top-six role with his goal and assist.
Add in help from Alex DeBrincat and Vladimir Tarasenko’s goals, along with Dylan Larkin (two assists), Patrick Kane, and Michael Rasmussen, and the team came together for their fans.
When asked about the message in the second intermission, Berggren said the message was clear.
“Let the fans have this win.”
For anyone wondering if Larkin has lost his leadership or deserves to wear the “C,” I assure you that he’s our captain until he hangs up his skates.
While I can respect the crowd who want Seider to don the “C.” Seider will have plenty of time to wear it, but right now, it’s Larkin’s time. The Red Wings showed that in addition to their collective appreciation for their fans, they also respected Larkin’s wishes.
Instead of focusing on the coulda, shoulda, and woulda, it’s nice to know that the players returning to Detroit next season played the biggest roles in their last win of the season on home ice.
Seider and Raymond reminded fans of just how good they are. Despite ups and downs in their seasons, they’re still the pillars of this Wings team that is building toward the next dynasty.
Earlier this month, Kasper finally reached the legal drinking age in the US. On the ice, he’s anything but green. Playing alongside the dynamic duo of Kane and DeBrincat, Kasper has provided a veteran-like, mature game that fits perfectly on the second line. The second-line center has plagued the Detroit Red Wings organization for as long as fans can recall. To have someone who can step in and take the reins is something that I can’t wait to watch next season.
The Grand Rapids Griffins bromance on ice of Johansson and Simon Edvinsson showed that success at the American Hockey League (AHL) is translatable to the National Hockey League (NHL) when done properly.
While we aren’t sure of either player’s ceiling, they show that other prospects can be worth the wait. That having a player in Grand Rapids an extra season or half-season than Wings’ fans prefer may not be so devastating to their development. Yet, they also serve as friendly reminders to “the prospects need to play now crowd.” They are fun to watch, but a team made up of too many first-year players isn’t a recipe for success, either.
We’ve glimpsed the agonizingly slow rebuild progress and why it’s worth waiting for—why no quick fixes are the answer.
The heart and soul of this team are coming together nicely. As Edvinsson grows more comfortable in his top-four pairing role and Kasper gets a full summer to prepare for his second season in the NHL, the future gets even brighter.
Instead of phoning in a meaningless game, the Red Wings—led by their captain and young players—provided something other than another “Manic Monday.”
Like a city boy from South Detroit (Windsor, Ontario), the boys in Hockeytown are on their midnight trains going anywhere. This season was just a stop along the way.