Red Wings Sweep Maple Leafs to Close Preseason

The Detroit Red Wings finished their preseason on a high note, sweeping the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 3–1 win on October 2 and a wild 6–5 OT victory on October 4. The back-to-back wins gave Detroit a clean preseason series and some late momentum heading into final roster decisions. 

In the Oct. 2 game Detroit rallied in the third period. Dylan Larkin opened the scoring for the Wings before Alex DeBrincat put Detroit ahead and Emmitt Finnie sealed the win with an empty netter to make it 3–1. The effort was a balanced one, with Detroit outshooting Toronto 42–19 as the Wings closed out the contest with strong finish. 

The Oct. 4 matchup was a roller coaster that went to overtime. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård starred for Detroit with multiple goals and the Wings erased a multi-goal deficit in the third period when Dylan Larkin scored to pull Detroit even and Albert Johansson hammered home the equalizer with under a minute left. Larkin then finished it in overtime with a power play tally to complete the sweep. 

Beyond the box scores, the preseason sweep gives Detroit some clarity as the club finalizes its 23-man roster. Exhibition wins do not always translate to regular season success, but the performances from Larkin, DeBrincat, Brandsegg-Nygård and Johansson offer encouraging signs for a team still solidifying its lineup!