Red Wings' hard-checking game plagues Oilers forward with long-term injury
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers game was a hard-checking affair, as neither team wanted to cede ice; despite their hard work, they'd lost a key role player in the lineup to long-term injury.
According to NHL Insider Bob Stauffer, the Oilers should expect to be without forward Kasperi Kapanen for a while.
"He's going to be out a little while,» said Bob Stauffer. «I'm going to tell you that right now."
The team has just lost one of its most aggressive forwards in the lineup, and he was a fixture in the bottom six.
The Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers game was a hard-checking match
Kapanen, as a result of his hard-nosed style of play, went into the boards on Sunday.
His forechecking style is all gas and no brakes, where he plays in the dirty areas to maintain possession of the puck.
His presence will be missed in the Oilers' lineup, given how they lack players who play a heavy game.
However, they did acquire Trent Frederic in free agency this past season. We'll see if Frederic is up to the task of replacing Kapanen.
In his absence, Stauffer noticed how the team was willing to give up on the puck while Kapanen was out.
"One of the players I overheard from New Jersey was saying how easy these guys (the Oilers) were to play against. They didn't fight and compete for space. Frankly it didn't surprise me. They got to be better. They got to dig in here I know the Oilers aren't built to be an uber-physically competitive team. But they're going to have to ratchet up the intensity."
The Red Wings won the match 4-2, while the Oilers continued their losing streak, with a record of 2-3-1.
And now, Connor McDavid will have one less player on the ice who has a presence that isn't a pushover.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
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