Detroit Red Wings get kick from Michael Rasmussen's non-kick goal in 3-2 win over Ducks
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Detroit Red Wings fell behind early but used a late goal to sweep their way through California.
Their Sunday matinee against the Anaheim Ducks began with home fans at Honda Center celebrating a goal just 15 seconds in, but half a period later it was a tie game.
The home fans were left stunned a few hours later as Michael Rasmussen redirected Moritz Seider's shot off his skate with 1:07 to play to give the Wings a 3-2 lead that held up as the final score. The Wings won all three games (in San Jose, L.A. and Anaheim) on their California trip to improve to 20-16-4.
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The Wings, who overcame an early deficit three nights earlier against the Kings, used goals from Dylan Larkin and Joe Veleno to take a 2-1 lead after two periods. Trevor Zegras took advantage of being left alone near Detroit's net to best Alex Lyon for a second time, early in the third period. The Wings went on a fifth power play with just under 4 minutes to play, and scored the winning goal about 50 seconds after it expired.
The Wings' plans called for them to stay the night in Anaheim and fly home Monday. They next play Thursday when they host the Edmonton Oilers.
Empowering
The Wings were still looking for their shot on Lukas Dostal when David Perron drew an interference penalty on Jakob Silfverberg at 9:26, sending the Wings on a power play. Larkin had the puck down low when he threw it cross-ice, banking it off the boards for Lucas Raymond to retrieve. Raymond sent the puck back to Shayne Gostisbehere, who took a couple strides and passed it to Perron, who was in the left circle. He timed a short, soft pass perfectly to Larkin, whose snap earned him his 14th goal of the season. A second power play two minutes later helped keep momentum going.
Penalty problems
The second period began encouragingly enough with Veleno stuffing the puck on a wrap-around to pull Detroit into the lead, at 2:20. But four minutes after that, Alex DeBrincat went off for hooking, and J.T. Compher followed for delay of game at 6:58, leaving the Wings two skaters short for 1:25. Lyon made three saves during that stretch, while skaters including Larkin, Seider, Andrew Copp, Jeff Petry and Jake Walman disrupted the Ducks' power play plans. Patrick Kane put the Wings shorthanded at 11:37 with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Seider was nabbed for holding at 19:34; that added up to four straight penalties in the second period, leaving little room for offense.
Ducklings
Zegras, the 2019 No. 9 overall pick who's one of the centerpieces of the Ducks' rebuilding efforts, made it 1-0 just 15 seconds into the game when he tipped Troy Terry's shot. It has been a tough season for Zegras, who missed 20 games with a lower-body injury. Leo Carlsson, the Ducks' prize pick from last summer, at No. 2, is sidelined with a sprained MCL. Mason McTavish, the No. 3 pick in 2021, and Jamie Drysdale (No. 6, 2019) are also part of the young core.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings down Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, for California sweep
