Mrazek, Red Wings Recover for Shutout Over Golden Knights
On Sunday, March 16, the Detroit Red Wings glided over the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena in a 3-0 victory.
Petr Mrazek secured the victory for the Red Wings with an 18-save shutout, while Detroit got the offense it needed from three of its youngest squad members. Albert Johansson was the oldest goal scorer of the night at 24. Lucas Raymond (22) and Marco Kasper (20) put the game out of reach of a Golden Knights team that had lost to Buffalo on Saturday, March 15.
In an interview with The Hockey News, Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said, “Looking up at the end of the night at the scoreboard was a real good thing for our team, considering the opponent, the type of game they play, So it was a pretty good night for a lot of our players and should give us some confidence.”
Mrazek said his sense of comfort has grown since returning to the Red Wings. Before his current run of three straight game starts and two wins, Mrazek hadn’t played since Jan. 27 with the Blackhawks.
“Playing those three games in a row definitely helps…[I] haven’t been playing for a while before, and once you’re playing, you’re getting your confidence back, your swagger back, so I’ve felt every game that I’ve played, I’ve felt better and better,” he said.
The Red Wings were also boosted by the efforts of Marco Kasper and Albert Johansson, who scored for the Wings. Additional support came from Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat on Kasper’s wings. According to MoneyPuck.com, the trio played 13:05 together at five-on-five, earning a 2.033-0.381 edge in expected goals and a 1-0 advantage in actual goals.
“I’m just trying to do my best wherever, whatever spot I’m put in, and every time I step on the ice, I’m trying to be the most competitive player on the ice — win all my battles, skate hard, and just do the right things,” Kasper said.