Aleksanteri Kaskimaki dropped his first career NHL goal Saturday, sealing an absolutely wild St. Louis Blues rally from a two-goal, third-period deficit to claim a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Seriously, what a finish!
Detroit’s Early Promise Crumbles
The Red Wings looked like they had this one locked up. They were playing their second game since center and former captain Dylan Larkin was suspended without pay after he requested a trade and decided to sit out. Despite that drama, Detroit had a 4-2 lead in the third period thanks to Emmitt Finnie’s power-play goal at 3:29. Earlier, Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist to lead the Red Wings’ offense. J.T. Compher scored his first goal of the season, tying it in the first period after Joel Hofer misplayed the puck behind the net, leaving an empty net. Keegan Kolesar, in his 14th game since being acquired from Vegas in an offseason trade, notched his first point and first goal of the season on a breakaway just 41 seconds into the second period. John Gibson made 10 saves, but it was not enough.
Even though Dalibor Dvorsky scored for the Blues at 2:29 in the first period on a backhander,a goal that was St. Louis’ only shot on net in that entire period, mind you,the Red Wings seemed to be in control for stretches. Raymond’s unassisted goal was matched late in the second by Jimmy Snuggerud’s tip-in, but Detroit still took a 3-2 lead into the third before Finnie extended it.
Rookie Heroics and a Stunning Turnaround
Then the Blues decided it was showtime. Pavel Buchnevich and Justin Barron lit the lamp earlier in the third period, cutting into Detroit’s lead and setting the stage for some pure rookie magic. With just 6:45 left on the clock, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, the 22-year-old from Finland playing in only his 11th NHL game, tapped in a perfect pass from Alexey Toropchenko. That was it. Game over. His first career NHL goal and it capped one of the most insane comebacks you will see all season.
Jimmy Snuggerud also added his team-high eighth goal, keeping the Blues in the fight when they needed it. Joel Hofer finished with 24 saves, battling through an early miscue to give his team a chance. What a way to start a four-game road trip for St. Louis! This is the kind of win that can ignite a team early on.
The Blues will look to carry this incredible momentum into their next game, visiting the New York Rangers on Tuesday. For the Red Wings, it is a tough trip to Florida on Monday. After a collapse like that, they better figure things out fast. That kind of loss can sting for a long, long time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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