Red Wings Game Day Notebook 9.28.23

Updates on line combinations, power play formations, the goaltending rotation, and more before the Red Wings take on the Washington Capitals this evening

Thursday morning, the Detroit Red Wings held a skate for the players not traveling to Washington for this evening's game against the Capitals then one for the players who are heading down to D.C.  Here are a few notes and observations in anticipation of the game.

For the most part, players who dressed Tuesday against the Penguins will not play again tonight with one notable exception: Simon Edvinsson. Given that Derek Lalonde has referred on more than one occasion to the fact that Edvinsson missed almost the whole summer of contact after his shoulder surgery last spring, it should come as no surprise that the Red Wings are keen on getting him a robust share of game reps.

During the non-game group's skate, the lines remained mostly unchanged from Tuesday's game, with the exception of Jared McIsaac filling in for the absent Edvinsson.  

On the power play however, Detroit did make some tweaks with Lucas Raymond replacing Shayne Gostisbehere on the right flank of the top unit, and Gostisbehere moving to the point with the second group.  Jonatan Berggren, who saw a limited sampling of action on PP2 Tuesday, took the majority of the reps that had gone to Raymond on the right half-wall of the second unit.

After practice, Gostisbehere spoke about the differences in playing as a flanker versus the point man on the power play. 

"I preferably like the top, but being versatile and being able to play in different spots is good for myself," he said, when asked about his favorite spot, with the caveat that he's happy to help the team wherever he can. "Wherever they want me, wherever they need me, obviously I'm going to be there."

Gostisbehere continued that, as a defenseman, the key to finding success on the flank will be getting some more reps to feel a bit more comfortable in areas of the rink he would necessarily occupy as a D-man at even strength.

"For me at the top, it's very easy to see everything," Gostisbehere said.  "Everyone's staring at you at the top.  You have more room.  On the side, you're always backing into the wall, there's a guy pressuring you down.  At the top, most of the time, guys aren't really coming at you, pressuring you.  I think you can be a threat on either.  I like to shoot from the top, and if I'm on the half-wall I'm going to be shooting a lot more in the sense that I'll be a one-timer option...You got to make your plays a lot quicker on the half wall, especially with loose pucks and rims."

The game group for this evening's trip to D.C. will feature a roughly 50/50 split between established NHLers and youngsters.  After the group's skate, Lalonde noted that the roster Detroit will bring to Washington is deeper than standard first preseason away game fare, but that the Red Wings plan to mix and match a bit with line combinations throughout the evening.

"That first [preseason] game usually ends up being at home, you play your veteran-type players," Lalonde explained, when asked about who Marco Kasper might play beside this evening.  "Obviously we had a strong line-up compared to Pittsburgh the other night, so we're probably two lines deep NHLers and prospects [again tonight], so we'll work them in and out with some different centers, sometimes some shifts that take place after special teams.  So short answer, you'll be seeing a lot of different guys on the wing tonight."

In net, Lalonde announced that the plan will be for Alex Lyon to start and Sebastian Cossa to come on for the back half of the game.  

Lalonde noted that he's seen strides from Cossa since a disappointing performance at the Prospects Tournament, saying: "I thought he had a good camp.  Obviously, things didn't go his way in the rookie tournament, but at the same time, part of growth is handling all those experiences.  We were here a year ago talking about how well he played in the rookie tournament.  So I think part of that growth is him handling different adversities, and that was one."

Of the plan for getting starter Ville Husso dialed in for the regular season, Lalonde said "We've him projected for [playing] through a few games, nine periods or six periods, two full games. It's just when—probably more later to get a little bit of a rhythm. Obviously, he'll be our night one starter in New Jersey."

Alex Lyon spoke to the press for the first time as a Red Wing in anticipation of his preseason debut.  The Yale-trained netminder discussed adjusting to a new environment in Detroit, maturing throughout his NHL career, and his postseason experience a year ago in Florida.

"You get better at coming into new organizations," Lyon said.  "This is my fourth organization, so just making friends and that kind of stuff, getting comfortable, you just get better at it with each go round."  He added that as a Minnesotan he's pleased to return to the Midwest.

When asked what appealed to him about the project in Detroit, Lyon said "I ultimately want to be somewhere that's a stimulating environment, going in the right direction.  That's how I see Detroit."

A year ago in Florida, Lyon set career-best marks in games played, save percentage, and goals against average.  "I felt like I was ready to take the next step," he said of the experience.  "Early on in my career, maybe when I had more opportunity, I don't know that I was necessarily ready for it.  Whether it was in Carolina or even my late years in Philly, I felt like I was getting better, and I felt like I was becoming a good, strong goalie.  I don't want to label it or anything like that, but it was just nice to have a little bit of runway [in Florida]."

During the Panthers' magical run to the Stanley Cup Final, Lyon got a clearer picture of what postseason success looks like at the NHL level than ever before:  "Two years ago, I was lucky enough to be on the Calder Cup-winning team in the AHL and obviously last year made it to the Stanley Cup final and didn't get the result we wanted.  But I think that's something that I don't want to say that I bring that—I don't know that it's something that anybody can necessarily bring to the table—but you understand that if you just keep fighting and trying...I think that's an experience that I can definitely bring to wherever I am moving forward."

The biggest news of the day in the NHL comes from elsewhere in the Atlantic, with the revelation that Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will undergo back surgery and miss the first two months of the regular season.

To state the obvious, that injury is a massive blow to Tampa's playoff prospects for the coming year.  Throughout Tampa's dynastic run, Vasilevskiy hasn't just been dominant; he's been remarkably durable, starting 60+ games each of the last two seasons.

We already knew it would be incredibly competitive to crack the playoffs out of the Atlantic, and missing out on a superhuman goaltender for two months might just be the tipping point in the wrong direction for a Lightning team that was already feeling the effects of going "all in" on Cup contention so many years in a row.  And, of course, it's difficult to imagine that any back surgery could possibly be minor or easy to shake off for a 29-year-old goaltender.

As it stands, Jonas Johansson is in line to take over the Bolts' starting duties, but given that he has just 35 games of NHL experience to his name, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tampa pursue outside alternatives as well.

For more on this evening's game from a Washington perspective, take a look at Sammi Silber's game day notes over at THN Washington.