The Detroit Red Wings, who faced one of the league’s top offences, fought a close game and won 4-2 courtesy to a last-minute goal from Andrew Copp. The team had problems travelling to Toronto for their game against the Maple Leafs. James Reimer made his first start since December 27, 2023, and he looked strong in between the pipes.
In general, this season, Red Wings supporters have not seen Andrew Copp perform like the player they had hoped he would be following his long-term deal signing in 2022. Although he has had trouble establishing his offensive game, he has established a respectable role as a bottom-six forward that gives the Red Wings lineup depth by playing on a line alongside Christian Fischer and Michael Rasmussen.
With just over a minute and a half remaining in the game, the Red Wings’ line of Copp, Fischer, and Rasmussen proved to be extremely effective last night. Copp found himself with the puck in the slot after the line, which had demonstrated a strong forecheck throughout the game, forced a turnover in the Maple Leafs zone. Ilya Samsonov was defeated by a fast shot that was made possible by some traffic in front of him, giving the Red Wings a 3-2 lead. With the goal, Copp extended his goal run to three games, which he has only done three times in his career.
Daniel Sprong’s ongoing offensive play (Sprong scored another goal last night) and Copp’s ability to score goals will be greatly appreciated. Copp has been producing goals for the team the past few games.
Many predicted that Reimer would appear rusty in the game against the Maple Leafs, as he hadn’t played since December 27, but he performed admirably in goal for the Red Wings. Reimer made a number of huge saves to help keep the game within striking distance when the Red Wings went behind early in the second period, even though he allowed the two goals that were scored (one on a tipped shot and one on a defensive lapse).
Reimer made crucial stops when needed to help prevent the Maple Leafs’ devastating powerplay from scoring during the game’s three penalty kills by the Red Wings. He turned in a terrific performance that was both a nice surprise and encouraging for a goalie who had endured a difficult season following his offseason contract with the Red Wings.
In relation to the penalty kill, both units recovered after a difficult performance on January 13 against the Los Angeles Kings, in which they gave up three powerplay goals. The Maple Leafs exerted a lot of pressure in the offensive zone during their man-advantage, but Reimer’s excellent goaltending and defensive positioning kept them from having many meaningful opportunities against the Red Wings.
Conversely, the Red Wings’ powerplay failed to generate any momentum when playing the Maple Leafs. They appeared to have trouble getting the puck into the offensive zone and, even when it did, they were unable to generate any momentum during their two man-advantages. They had trouble controlling the play and creating any offensive opportunities, and when they did, the Maple Leafs penalty kill did a good job of blocking shots and reducing the Red Wings’ opportunities.
