Marco Kasper
Yes, I just wrote about Marco Kasper. I understand that variety is the spice of life, but it would be illegal to list 3 players without including Kasper in the list. (I don’t make the rules, just abide by them.)
I’m confident in stating that Kasper has been the Grand Rapids Griffins best player so far and it’s not particularly a close race as of this third game in the series.
Every shift, Kasper wants it. Whether it’s the puck, playing the body, winning a battle, getting to the slot, getting out of the slot, winning a faceoff, or anything else you can imagine, Kasper’s wants it. More than any player on the ice. With his growing confidence, Kasper's offensive game is budding nicely:
Marci Kasper with some crazy dangles and a great scoring chance that somehow stays out of the net#GoGRG #LGRW #CalderCup pic.twitter.com/tylltNXWzL
— X - Hockeytown West Podcast (@HockeytownWpod) May 3, 2024
At one point, the rebellious Kasper snuck an opponent's stick in between the benches where Larry Figurski (radio/tv anchor for the Grand Rapids Griffins) worked the game. Sadly, it was a stick for righties rather than for lefties, otherwise we might have seen a new player for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Nasty, competitive, disciplined, and feisty, Kasper is shining. He's quenchy a fanbase's thirst playoff glory:
GR wins 4-3 OT
— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) May 4, 2024
Tuomisto+1 1 SOG
Soderblom 1G +1 2PIM 3SOG
Wallinder-1
Johansson+1
Mazur 1A +2 4SOG
Berggren 1G 1A +2 5SOG
Edvinsson 1A +1 2PIM 1SOG
Kasper 1G -2 7SOG
Lombardi+/-0
Cossa 26 saves
Ed+Berggren+Mazur+Kasper were great. Go finish the series in Rockford #LGRW #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/P9CPMWaCcl
Will anyone else on the Grand Rapids Griffins catch Kasper in terms of the best player award? Probably not. They’re too busy resting on the bench, meanwhile Kasper is flying across the ice killing guys.
(In all seriousness, every player in the Detroit Red WIngs organization should have whatever Kasper and Lucas Raymond have in the offseason, as their conditioning is ridiculous.)
The Mean Ghost finished the game with a goal, 7 shots on goal, and made a young Grand Rapids Griffins fan’s dream come true (threw him a shirt as the second star of the night).