The Red Wings erupted for three unanswered goals in the third period, mounting an impressive 3-1 comeback to rally past the Maple Leafs.
The Detroit Red Wings finished strong on Thursday as they entered the third period down a goal and worked their way back with three unanswered goals. It was only a matter of time for Detroit as they laid a shooting gallery on Leafs starter Anthony Stolarz, who did what he could to keep his team in the game with 39 saves on the night. The Red Wings started Cam Talbot in net, and he stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced from the Maple Leafs. However, the real highlight of the game was Detroit’s top line, which stole the show.
With lots of anticipation on who would be manning the top line left wing role opposite to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, it was the same trio from Tuesday night with Andrew Copp sliding into the role to start the game. It was a rough start however for the 31-year-old Michigan native as he was tasked to go on the penalty kill early in the period with center Marco Kasper. The duo did their best but a netfront loose puck worked back to an open Auston Matthews led to an easy first goal for the Maple Leafs as they took the early lead.
Copp had a golden opportunity to answer back later in the period after Raymond threaded a pass while being checked into the boards. Larkin, with a subtle redirection as the puck slid past him, guided it to Copp, who found himself with a clean, uncontested look at the net but Stolarz came up big with the save.
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The second period was a back-and-forth battle with the Red Wings landing several scoring chances while entering the period on the power play and was later on the man advantage for even longer as Leafs defender Brandon Carlo received a double minor for high-sticking Lucas Raymond. Ultimately, they came up short, though preseason breakout and top line candidate Emmitt Finnie came close to capitalizing. A bouncing puck landed in his path with Stolarz out of position and the net wide open but Finnie got just a piece of it, but not enough.
The third period saw a favorable lineup change for the 20-year-old Alberta native as Finnie was swapped with Copp on the top line where he played and showed upside through training camp and certain preseason games. The line immediately made an impact as Finnie worked the puck back to the point for a shot that bounces out for a juicy rebound that Larkin quickly jumps on from in front of the net and ties the game.
Relentless forechecking by Marco Kasper and top prospect Michael Brandsegg-Nygard helped the Red Wings generate extended pressures in the offensive zone, eventually leading to their second goal. After several chances with Alex DeBrincat, the breakthrough came when DeBrincat stole the puck deep in the Leafs’ end and set up Brandsegg-Nygard for a quick shot partially disrupted by a diving defender. As Stolarz tried to clear the loose puck, he inadvertently redirected it back to Brandsegg-Nygard, who delivered a brilliant one-touch backhand pass across the crease to a wide-open DeBrincat.
Finnie and Brandsegg-Nygard both delivered strong performances as they continue to battle for the final spots on the main roster. The top line remained dangerous in the third, with Larkin and Raymond generating quality chances including a two-on-one but Stolarz stood tall with yet another key save. The line capped off their night when Finnie intercepted a pass near the top of the Red Wings’ zone as the Leafs, trailing by one, had pulled their goalie. Finnie carried the puck up ice and snapped a quick shot past Auston Matthews for the empty-netter.
It was a strong bounce-back performance from the team, shaking off the lingering frustration of last season’s finale, where they blew a two-goal lead to the Maple Leafs. They also came into the night carrying a rough 2-5-2 record against Toronto over their last nine preseason meetings. The Red Wings will wrap up their preseason schedule on Saturday night as they return to the Motor City for the second leg of their home-and-home series against the Maple Leafs, aiming to carry momentum into the regular season with a strong finish on home ice.
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