The Detroit Red Wings were fighting it. It was the first period of a Monday night game in Columbus, and while Detroit was fresh off a big, emotional win in its home opener two nights earlier, the team had come out a bit disjointed against the Blue Jackets. Columbus was pushing, midway through the first, and had nearly just taken an early lead on a botched rush chance that was disrupted by Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere.
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But on the ensuing breakout, Joe Veleno looked up and realized he had some time and space. No Columbus defender was really on him, so he transitioned the puck himself. Around the middle of the ice, he knew he had Daniel Sprong as a kick-out option if he needed it, with David Perron skating down on the other flank. He saw Gostisbehere coming too. But by the time Veleno faked a drop pass to Sprong at the offensive blue line and looked over his shoulder once more to survey his final options, he saw just how open Gostisbehere was.
“I thought he was going to come in the zone and backhand it to the trailer (Sprong), and the trailer was going to hit me,” Gostisbehere said Tuesday. “But Joe made a great play. He was on his forehand, he was heads up, and he made a great play.”
Gostisbehere made the most of it, finishing off the play he started in the other end with a big goal for the Red Wings. It allowed them to survive that rocky first period, and take the game over the rest of the game, which they went on to win 4-0. Detroit coach Derek Lalonde called it “an unbelievable play” at a time when the Red Wings “were on our heels.”
👻🐻! Gostisbehere scores his 1st as a Red Wing off of a nice feed from Veleno. 🚨 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/LEqvMHUvJ7
— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) October 16, 2023
Really, it was a perfect play to embody Veleno’s impressive last few weeks. He started out with a great training camp that caught the eye of coaches. He carried it into the preseason. And he’s kept it right up through the first three games of the regular season. It’s far too early to treat any underlying stats with any big-picture consequence, but the Red Wings’ expected goals share with Veleno on the ice at five-on-five is north of 70 percent through those three games — a number certain to change, but indicative of just how effective he’s been so far.
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It’s early, of course. But it’s been a great start for the Red Wings’ 23-year-old center starting his third true NHL season.
Since the preseason, Veleno has pointed to his improved confidence, and he reiterated that again Tuesday when asked if anything has felt different so far.
“Just trying to be patient with the puck,” Veleno said, “trying to hold onto it and look for the right play this time, rather than just kind of getting rid of it or making a play that’s not really there, or try(ing) to force plays. I think that part of my game’s gotten a little better, and I think just my awareness on the ice, being in better positions than I was, and reading plays a little quicker, and just feeling better in general. Like I said in the preseason, I felt good, so just trying to bring that on now to the start of the season.”
He was speaking generally, but it’s easy to map those comments directly onto the goal he set up the night before for his first assist of the season. He had multiple chances on the play to get rid of that puck or to drop it off to Sprong. Instead, he held on and found Gostisbehere for a big-time goal.
“He’s skating well, he’s confident, he’s making plays,” Perron said of Veleno. “I think he saw a bit what it took last year to become that player, and I think he’s putting it together more and more.”
And that could be an important development for the Red Wings.
Consider, for example, Monday night’s lineup. In their home opener Saturday night, the Red Wings played 11 forwards and seven defensemen, leading them to rotate certain forwards between lines throughout the game. Late in that game, they stumbled upon a trio that Lalonde liked, featuring three matchup forwards in Michael Rasmussen, Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher — the latter two of whom would normally be Detroit’s second- and third-line centers.
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Lalonde had liked the look enough to want to try it for a full game, and sure enough, they linked up for a big goal early in the second period against Columbus.
But he wouldn’t have been able to actually roll it out unless he felt comfortable with Veleno moving up the lineup into the 3C role.
“He did a really good job with it,” Lalonde said.
Veleno ended up playing just over 15 minutes between Sprong and Perron, two key offensive pieces for Detroit. He had the assist on the Gostisbehere goal, and nearly another in the game’s final seconds on a slick pass to Sprong that the winger rang off the post. Crucially, he also won 11 of the 12 faceoffs he took — an eye-popping total after he was under 43 percent on the dot last season.
“I liked playing with him,” Perron said. “He covers a lot of ice, a little bit similar to (Dylan Larkin) that way. Whether you put a puck on the forecheck or you need a backcheck, maybe something that a lot of guys can’t get to, he might have a chance to get to it.”
Time will tell how long the trio lasts together, as the Red Wings have experimented with several different combinations early this season, and will continue to. But Detroit did practice with the same look Tuesday, which has made for a real opportunity for Veleno.
He opened the season on a heavy line with Klim Kostin and Christian Fischer and looked like it could do some serious damage on the forecheck — and did — but playing with Sprong and Perron puts him between two savvy offensive wingers. Both lines have been effective in small samples, which is important for Veleno and for his team. It creates lineup versatility for Lalonde to keep experimenting, like with Compher and Copp. And right now, playing on a one-year contract, every game is part of a key, prove-it season in his career.
“I know it’s a big year for me, and regardless of how many years I was going to sign, I (knew) that coming into this year was kind of a big year for me,” Veleno said. “Just trying to be focused, be disciplined, and kind of work on my game and look to get better every day. And I know that if I do those things and work hard, having the skilled enough group on this team that no matter where or who you’re playing with, you’re obviously playing with some really good players. And just getting that opportunity and capitalizing on those chances that I get.”
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The traditional wisdom is that while young players may enter the league wanting to play primarily a skilled game, it takes some time before they learn that playing a simpler game may actually afford them more chances to use their skill. It’s easy to map that onto Veleno, who entered the league as a first-round pick who had scored 100-plus points in junior hockey, but for whom offense hasn’t come easy at the highest level.
“I think he’s doing a good job to understand what the NHL level is like, and adjusting,” Perron said. “And I think the better you play that way, he’s going to start playing PK more and more, once he’s a staple on the PK maybe he gets that second look on the power play, or when there’s injuries to guys, then he starts producing and then next thing you know he’s playing all aspects of the game, he’s turning in to a beast. All that stuff. That’s what he’s trying for, I’m guessing — and we all are in a way. But I really think he has a chance at that.”
It’s still early, though, and when Lalonde was asked about the young forward Tuesday, he followed his praise by noting that Veleno had gotten off to a strong start last season, too, before that faded.
The message was simple: it’s one thing to show ability, but the real asset the Red Wings are looking for is consistency.
That, by definition, isn’t something he can show over the span of a few games, or even a few weeks. It will be assessed over the course of the whole season, as Veleno plays out that prove-it deal.
But three games in, he’s off to the right kind of start.
“I think he is a great player with great speed, good vision and a great shot as well,” teammate Lucas Raymond said. “It’s been really fun watching him, and he’s good for our team. So, want him to keep going.”
(Photo: Dan Hamilton / USA Today)
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