Rasmussen goal shows why Red Wings third line is effective

Michael Rasmussen's deflected goal showed what makes his third line with Andrew Copp and Christian Fischer so effective.

It’s the type of goal that gives coaches an ear-to-ear grin.

A disciplined chip in, a low to high cycle, combined with a well-placed screen and tip. Everything executed to precision. All of it was equally important. All of it earned the Red Wings the game-tying goal on Saturday in what became a 4-3 overtime win over Vancouver.

“Classic, forecheck OZP, get-to-the-net goal,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said Saturday. “Love that goal.”

Such a play matters more than just a tying tally. To start, such an effective forechecking unit as the Christian Fischer-Michael Rasmussen-Andrew Copp third line adds another flavor to an offense that features multiple crafty playmakers. Whereas Dylan Larkin or Alex DeBrincat generate offense away from contact using speed and well-placed passes, gritty goals like the one Michael Rasmussen knocked in the net bring the fight right to the defense. It’s a form of hockey that not only engages in battles and races, but one that picks those fights to begin with.

Such bully ball led to the goal. With a little over 12 minutes left in the third period, Rasmussen kicked off the play with a bang, or rather, a really disciplined dump-in. He could’ve forced a pass to Christian Fischer ahead of him through the neutral zone, but instead he opted to punt the puck deep and embrace a potential puck battle on the wall. And after the dump-in, Rasmussen did himself one better as he beelined for behind the net, setting up shop to support the ensuing battle.

Both the dump-in and the positioning are seemingly simple decisions, but they’re those that are also easy to ignore. Making them is a sign that the third line knows how it’s supposed to generate offense, and it sticks to the script.

These decisions continued. With a slight poke check from Fischer aiding the puck’s path, Rasmussen found the puck behind the net with plenty of space. But with Nils Hoglander playing the far post, Rasmussen found himself forced to his left. So, he embraced the battle. He threw the puck toward Fischer along the end boards, and Fischer gave it a boost to reach a waiting Jake Walman on the blue line. Low, then high, forecheck winning the play.

But Rasmussen wasn’t done. Not quite. After moving the puck to high ice, he lurked around the net to make himself an option. Space is hard to come by on a 200 by 85 feet ice sheet enclosed in Plexiglas, yet Rasmussen used some sneaky skating to set up shop right at the net behind two Canucks. As Walman laid a well-placed one-timer to the net, Rasmussen found even more space with a cut toward a screen. Right in front of Casey DeSmith, Rasmussen tipped the puck on net with his stick. And as soon as he did, dozens of coaches probably clipped that goal to show their teams what fundamentals can do.

There’s also a beauty in the play the third line didn’t make — it didn’t risk getting beat. By punting the puck deep and digging for it, the unit didn’t risk the sort of odd man rushes that a forced pass might bring.

To be clear, Rasmussen’s isn’t the type of goal you’ll find on Sportscenter. It’s not flashy, nor is it pretty unless you’re a hockey sicko. But it doesn’t have to be — it just has to work reliably, rinse and repeat.

With its size and tenacity, the third line makes those goals happen in a reliable way. And as long as they continue to do so, coaches are finding it really hard to split them up.

“All three of those guys, we’ve moved around to help other lines because they’re north, their forecheck was a little bit heavier,” Lalonde said Sunday. “We don’t have some of that throughout our lineup. … That line has been so productive and predictable. It's just been hard to break up.”

This late in the season amid a battle for a playoff spot, the Red Wings need every point in the standings they can get, and with that, they need every goal, too. Scoring goals from this grinding, forecheck-driven style is a way to boost the offense. It’s easier to plan around battling opponents for the puck rather than trying to avoid them — essentially using the opponent’s desire to defend as a means to bait them into mistakes.

Those goals are especially effective when facing the tight-checking hockey that teams employ more and more in preparation for the playoffs. Teams will sit back and clog the middle to beat a lot of skill plays, but they can’t always force a win against forecheckers. As the season progresses, the third line’s stylistic difference matters all the more.

While it wasn’t pretty, Rasmussen’s goal is the type that makes his third line so effective. And as the line continues to make coaches happy, it will remain difficult for Detroit to break them up.

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