The Detroit Red Wings were as deep as they have been in years at forward entering training camp and Adam Erne’s spot in the lineup was not assured, coming off a disappointing season.
But Erne thrived in camp and the preseason, and his strong play has carried over into the regular season. It earned him a spot on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Minnesota.
That is where Erne likely will be tonight as well when the Red Wings (4-2-2) visit the Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit Extra).
Erne made a nice play to set up Raymond for the first of his two goals against the Wild and has five points (two goals, three assists) in eight games.
“I think Lucas could attest to it as well, it’s really nice playing with (Erne) when he’s forechecking and moving his feet,” Larkin said. “There were a couple of times in the first when he was just flying by me to get the puck on the forecheck. It’s great when he’s hungry for it. You could see the play he made to Lucas on his first goal. It’s nice to see and I’m sure it’s rewarding for him to feel that.”
Missing forwards Michael Rasmussen, who tonight will serve the second game of his two-game suspension for high-sticking Boston’s David Krejci, and Oskar Sundqvist (upper-body injury, day to day), forced coach Derek Lalonde to further shuffles his lines.
Lalonde, having coached Erne in Tampa Bay, values his ability to play up and down the lineup, on a checking line or a scoring line.
“He’s had some time in the past where he’s good enough to play anywhere in your lineup and for us, he’s one of our few heavy players, so he can complement our bottom six very well, he can complement our top guys,” Lalonde said. “But at times when he complements the top guys, he changes his game a little bit and tries to turn a little more into a skill game. He did not do that (on Saturday).
“I really liked that line. Analytically, I don’t even have to look at it, they’re going to come out of this game with really high numbers in every situation and he was a big part of it.”
Erne showed his offensive side during the COVID-shortened 2021 season, tying for the team lead with 11 goals and collecting 20 points in 45 games. He took a step back last season with just six goals and 19 points in 79 games.
Entering the final year of his contract, Erne has been consistent since the start of camp.
“Physical throughout,” Lalonde said. “Sometimes just the way we are with our lineup, especially with Ras and Sunny out, we don’t have many heavy bodies. He gives us a heavy game.
“I know it’s a little thing, but we take a (bench) penalty at the end of the Boston game (Thursday) with only 30 seconds left. We needed someone serve it and he jumped off our bench and served it. That’s team ahead of self. It made it that much easier to put him on that top line.”
More: Team effort is Red Wings’ best win of the season thus far
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October 31, 2022 at 05:01PM
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