RECAP: Kane’s five-point night helps Red Wings snap skid, defeat Sabres, 7-3

DETROIT -- When the clock hit zero at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night, over two weeks’ worth of frustration was expunged as the Detroit Red Wings snapped a six-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena.

“We needed the win,” said Patrick Kane, who recorded two power-play goals and three assists for his fourth five-point career NHL game. “It didn’t matter how it came. Obviously, it’s nice to put up seven, but we needed the win tonight.”

Marco Kasper (two goals, one assist), Alex DeBrincat (one goal, three assists) and captain Dylan Larkin (three assists) were also all over the scoresheet for the Red Wings (31-28-6; 68 points), who saw goalie Petr Mrazek make 23 saves in his first game back with the club after being acquired via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of last Friday’s 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkoned made 22 saves for the Sabres (25-33-6; 56 points).

“There’s relief, obviously,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “The losing streak is over. We got rewarded for some of the work we put in and the chances we got. Hockey is a really odd game sometimes because I think we played a better game in Ottawa [on Monday] and lost 2-1. We came home and got a win, and we put seven in and give up three. It’s just strange how it happens sometimes, but I remember some of my mentors telling me don’t critique a win, especially when you haven’t won much lately. We’ll take it.”

After Detroit saw what could’ve been a game-opening goal from DeBrincat waved off due to goaltender interference 3:15 into the first period, Tage Thompson struck first for Buffalo by scoring a wrister from the high slot to make it 1-0 4:23 later.

The Red Wings responded with three straight goals in a span of 6:31 to take a 3-1 lead, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

“I think we just wanted to focus on playing the same way as we did in Ottawa and not have any type of drop off after a game like that,” Kane said. “We got down 1-0, but I thought we hung in there and really found some timely goals, especially in the first period.”

That offensive burst that started with Kasper, who battled his way to the front of the crease and deflected home Simon Edvinsson’s shot from the slot to make it 1-1 at 12:36 of the first period. Kane was awarded the secondary assist on Kasper’s first goal of the game and 11th of the season.

Three minutes, four seconds later, DeBrincat sped in and swiftly moved to the top of the slot before he ripped a wrister past Luukkonen to make it 2-1. Kane and Kasper assisted on DeBrincat’s club-leading 30th goal of the campaign.

It marked the fourth time in DeBrincat’s NHL career and first since the 2021-22 campaign that the Farmington Hills, Mich., native has hit the 30-goal plateau.

Picking up his third point of the first period with his first power-play goal of the game, Kane snapped in a shot from the left face-off circle to make it 3-1 at 19:07.

Kane, who was assisted by DeBrincat and captain Dylan Larkin, recorded his 16th goal of the season and his 23rd career NHL three-point frame. The only other active players with as many as Kane are Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (28), Nikita Kucherov (26) of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (25) and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (24).

The visitors got one back with 35 seconds to go in the first period, as Josh Norris lit the lamp for the first time as a Sabre to trim their deficit to 3-2.

At 10:54 of the second period, Vladimir Tarasenko scored his ninth goal of the season after spinning around the net to push Detroit’s in front 4-2. Buffalo challenged for goalie interference on the goal, which Larkin earned the lone assist on, but it stood after video review.

Buffalo was successful on a power-play opportunity late in the second period, as Zach Benson scored on a rebound from the slot to make it 4-3 at 18:12.

Kane scored his second man-advantage goal of the game when he cleaned up his own rebound after his initial shot from down low went off the post, extending the Red Wings’ lead to 5-3 just 1:36 into the third period. The assists on what also marked Kane’s 17th tally of the campaign went to DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond.

“In my mind, that’s called leadership,” McLellan said about Kane’s performance. “That’s called experience. When you have the toolset that he has and you bring it on a night where the team is pretty desperate, and he delivers. What else can I say?”

Not long after Kane lit the lamp, Kasper followed suit. The 20-year-old forward completed a nice passing play between DeBrincat and Kane give Detroit a 6-3 lead 5:39 of the third period.

“I’m really just trying to make the right play happen,” said Kasper, who recorded his second career NHL two-goal game and has found twine 12 times this season. “It worked out tonight, so it was good.”

Moritz Seider tacked on a 4-on-3 power-play goal at 14:31 of the third period, giving Detroit its largest lead of the game and what would stand as the 7-3 final. Larkin and Raymond picked up the assists on Seider’s seventh goal of the season.

Things got chippy late in the third period, and the officials handed out game misconducts to five players on each club following several brawls.

“It’s great seeing everyone stick together,” Kane said. “Buffalo is probably a frustrated team, with the way their year has gone and maybe the way tonight went against them. Sometimes you kind of expect that stuff, but I thought we did a great job of sticking together, especially in scrums like that at the end of the game when it’s kind of out of hand. Great job with that.”

NEXT UP: The Red Wings will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Friday night.

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on Mrazek’s start

“A win. Some big saves, some timely saves, some confidence through him and throughout the team, so all of those things are real positive. It was real good.”

Kasper on how Detroit’s overall performance on Wednesday

“I think we played a really good game. I think we had a good game in Ottawa, just the puck didn’t go in. Today we found the back of the net, played a solid defensive game and got our chances.”

Kane on his five-point night

“Sometimes, you have those nights where you’re getting and creating chances, and the puck goes in. I thought Marco and Alex both had great nights not only on the scoresheet, but just hunting the puck, getting pucks back and playing the right way. That’s the way we need to do it.”

Kane on what parts of their game need to be on point from here on out

“Just take it one game at a time. I know it’s kind of cliché, but I think sometimes you start thinking ahead, maybe like we were before our six-game slid, you start thinking about playoffs and all this talk. We still have a bunch of games left. No matter who you play in this League, it’s going to be a tough night. We just got to focus on the next game."