Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings achieved a dramatic 4-3 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game highlighted by Marco Kasper's standout performance at the AMALIE Arena on Friday night. Detroit's head coach, Todd McLellan, remarked on the progress of the young forward after a personal conversation prior to the game. McLellan recounted, “He was one that I pulled aside this morning. I didn’t think it was his best effort [on Thursday night] in Florida and he certainly agreed."

Kasper responded to the challenge by scoring twice, including the decisive overtime goal, marking his third career NHL multi-goal game. "It was really fun for us," said Kasper, noting the significance of the victory after two previous losses. The win kept Detroit's playoff hopes alive, putting them six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Wild-Card spot in the Eastern Conference. “Every minute we get, we need to try to give it our all,” Kasper added.

The game started with Tampa Bay taking an early lead, but Detroit equalized with goals from Patrick Kane and Tyler Motte, who gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead at 16:37 of the second period. Tampa Bay's quick response tied the game, and they took the lead again in the third period. But Kasper’s goal from a DeBrincat assist propelled the game into overtime, where he secured the victory.

Coach McLellan reflected on the team’s resilience: “It didn’t look good right off the bat, obviously getting scored on early, but we stayed with it and found a way to scrape out a win in a building that’s really tough to play in."

Goalie Alex Lyon, who made 18 saves, emphasized the importance of character and the team’s resilience. “This is the NHL,” said Lyon, who celebrated his 50th career NHL win. “There’s always pressure. That’s just the reality of it."

Detroit will next face the Dallas Stars at the Little Caesars Arena on Monday for their final home game of the regular season. As Lyon noted, “It shows a lot of character. It’s pretty evident what our position is right now, so it’s just cool playing for the guy next to you.”

Kasper's impact was not lost on Lyon, who acknowledged the forward's maturity and talent: “He’s an extremely mature individual. An extremely talented player who is going to play for a long time and have a fantastic career."

McLellan summed up the team’s effort, saying, “They showed each other a lot, not necessarily what they showed me."