DETROIT – Marco Kasper set up a goal with a nifty pass and sealed the victory Friday with an empty-net goal. He played with pace and tenacity from the start.
It’s been a season-long struggle for the second-year forward who needed a night like this more than any Detroit Red Wing.
“His game has been coming, maybe not on the score sheet regularly, but his physicality, his tenacity, his skating,” coach Todd McLellan said following a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena. “He looks like a different player right now.”
Kasper’s goal was his first since scoring twice in Los Angeles Oct. 30. He had no goals and three assists in his past 36 games and has just four goals and eight points in 48 games.
“I don’t know if he hit rock bottom and built himself back up, but he’s done a real good job,” McLellan said. “When your teammates are still rooting for you, that’s important. And the guys are pulling for him on the bench. They have his back. They know he’s an important piece on the team. And tonight, he got rewarded with some points, but his overall game was impressive.”
Players sometimes take a step back after strong rookie seasons. It happened to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond. But nobody could have anticipated Kasper’s struggles after he tallied 19 goals and 37 points last season, most of it during the second half after McLellan arrived.
“Just staying with it every day,” Kasper said. “Just coming to the rink, prepare to work, work hard in practice, work hard in games, do little things right and just stay on top of that.
“I’ve watched video trying to improve things. Every time I go on the ice I try to improve by a little bit and just keep working hard.”
As McLellan noted, teammates were happy for the 21-year-old drafted ninth overall in 2022.
“He’s been working really hard; maybe hasn’t gotten the results,” Raymond said.
“It’s his second year. It could be a tricky one. I think that the way he’s working, you see it in games, but practices as well, before and after. Just got to be patient and get that confidence back.”
Raymond is aware of the potential pitfalls of a player’s second season.
“I think first year, you come in, everything’s new, you’re kind of riding that high,” Raymond said. “Excitement going into every building, it’s a new building for you to come in. You’re playing against a lot of your childhood idols.
“The second year, expectations become different. It’s tricky. But it’s about doing the right things. Everyone’s not always going to score. We need guys to contribute a lot of different ways. And he plays hard. There’s positive things to take out of it.”
McLellan praised Kasper for not getting too high when things were going well last season and not getting too low this season.
“He’s a very proud individual, and I think some of that’s held inside,” McLellan said. “We’ve had some good talks. He doesn’t want to let his guard down or let anybody see him. But I know it’s been heavy on him, and I give him all the credit in the world for continuing to try to work through it, and maybe he’s starting to break through.”