Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton were back in the Detroit Red Wings lineup Tuesday night, with both forwards activated from injured reserve before morning skate and set to face the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. Detroit also planned to start John Gibson in goal as it tried to bounce back from a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
For the Red Wings, this was the kind of night that can change the feel of a road trip. They entered at 7-8-3 with 17 points, and the Blues came in at 7-8-2 with 16 points, making the matchup more than just the second meeting in 10 days. It also closed their two-game season series, and it came with a little more weight because Detroit was still missing Gibson for the last two games because of a lower-body injury.
The return matters because Kasper had played only on Opening Night before his injury, while Appleton had appeared in Opening Night and the following game. Both had been practicing with the team since Oct. 30, but Todd McLellan made clear that the first night back would not be a full-speed reset. He said the injuries had kept them from doing much early in rehab, so the team needed to temper expectations even while expecting energy and effort.
That is where the real question sits for Detroit. Two forwards were coming back, but neither was being handed a clean runway, and Carter Mazur was the healthy scratch that made room. McLellan said there would be some energy from both players and that jobs would be competitive now, which leaves the Red Wings trying to figure out how much game action Kasper and Appleton can actually handle before the rhythm returns.
Tuesday also marked Justin Faulk's first game back at Enterprise Center since being acquired by the Red Wings in a trade with the Blues last March, adding another layer to a night already shaped by return dates and unfinished business. St. Louis entered on a three-game losing streak after a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, so both teams arrived looking for a clean answer after uneven weekends. For Detroit, the immediate test was simple: get the two forwards back on the ice and see how much they can give before the trip moves on.
