Detroit Red Wings forward Mason Appleton now has three goals in his last two games, including a pair of goals in Detroit's 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.
The Detroit Red Wings have essentially erased the memory of their 5-1 setback against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9 and have rattled off three consecutive victories, all against divisional opponents.
Not only did they sweep their home-and-home series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they've now defeated the Florida Panthers, a 4-1 triumph at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday evening.
Forward Mason Appleton, who was signed to a free-agent deal during the offseason, scored twice, giving him three goals in his last two games. It was also his first multi-goal game since November 2021 when he was a member of the Seattle Kraken.
Appleton broke the scoreless tie early in the second period after he beat goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after taking a pass from Dylan Larkin; his second goal was late in regulation with Bobrovsky on the bench for an extra attacker.
Afterward, he didn't chalk up his performance to anything special, but rather just playing simple hockey.
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"I think it was just simple, fast, hard hockey," Appleton said. "Not a crazy recipe. The goal tonight, Larks made a great play and just kind of get it to the net, and the empty netter is what it is."
"It's just getting pucks to the net and finding spots and places to get myself into scoring chances. Kind of a simple recipe."
Appleton also netted the game-winner against the Maple Leafs on Monday afternoon, which was his first goal in a Red Wings uniform.
Also scoring for the Red Wings against the Panthers on Wednesday were Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen, the latter of whom also tallied into the open net.
All of this was done without Lucas Raymond, who wasn't able to play after departing Monday's game against the Maple Leafs; he's been designate4d as day-to-day.
"Wins are coming in different ways. Guys are stepping up," Appleton continued. "We got a goaltender that's playing great hockey. There's a lot of different recipes to win in this league. We're displaying that, but at the same time, we're trying to build towards, you know, a playoff-style game and a game that fits our roster. You've got to build on that every day."
Mason Appleton Stays Hot As Red Wings Top Panthers For Third Straight Win
The Detroit Red Wings have won three consecutive games now after dropping their Home Opener.
It's Appleton who was placed on Detroit's top forward unit with Dylan Larkin and Emmitt Finnie, and so far, the results speak for themselves.
Having played the bulk of his career with the Winnipeg Jets, a regular playoff team, Appleton simply "gets" the game in the words of head coach Todd McLellan.
"He gets the game," McLellan said. "He knows when he should be pulling out and when he should be diving in. His game management skills are pretty good, and that's why we felt comfortable putting him up there."
"Guys are really happy for him. He's fit into our group really well."
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