NHL Detroit Red Wings beat Washington Capitals, 5-2, in preseason at LCA: Game thread recap
Exhibition: Detroit Red Wings (1-1-0) vs. Washington Capitals (1-1-0)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: None.
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Game notes: It’s rare to get a home-and-home during the NHL’s regular season, but we have one this week in the preseason as the Capitals hit Little Caesars Arena just two days after they knocked off the Red Wings, 4-3, in D.C.
That game didn’t feature stars such as Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat playing for the Wings — they should suit up in this one, however. It did feature, however, a bevy of mid-level forwards fighting for their spots on the second and third lines. Free-agent signee Daniel Sprong, who had a career year last season with Seattle with 21 goals, picked up a goal and an assist against the Caps, taking an early lead in the battle for playing time. More good news: Robby Fabbri, the oft-injured forward who missed the final month of last season with a knee issue, turned it on late against the Caps, scoring twice in the final five minutes to make it a close game.
Will we also get to see the Wings’ likely goalie tandem of Ville Husso and James Reimer, who signed a one-year deal with the Wings over the offseason? Reimer started the preseason opener at LCA on Tuesday, stopping seven of nine shots before handing the crease over to 21-year-old Jan Bednar, who was perfect on 12 shots over almost 30 minutes. The Wings started potential third-stringer Alex Lyon on Thursday and gave him 40 minutes before turning to 2021 first-round pick Sebastian Cossa in the third. Cossa, who was rocked in the prospect tourney in Traverse City earlier this month, gave up two goals on 14 shots in the final frame.
It'll be a short turnaround for the Wings, who host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night, past of an eight-day span that features six games before the Wings get four days off to prep for the regular-season opener on Oct. 12 in New Jersey.
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Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?) @theford.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings beat Washington Capitals, 5-2: Game thread recap
