Sebastian Cossa's NHL debut brings a much-needed win: 5 Red Wings thoughts

The Detroit Red Wings certainly weren’t rushing Sebastian Cossa into the net.

It’s been a week (and four games) since the Red Wings called up the 2021 first-round pick under emergency circumstances, and each game — in spite of all the anticipation — head coach Derek Lalonde held firm. He went with Ville Husso in two road games against Boston and Ottawa. He stuck with Husso for a weekend home game against the Colorado Avalanche.

And really, even though Detroit lost all three of those games, Husso played pretty well. That’s likely why Lalonde went back to Husso once more Monday night in Buffalo. But finally, he couldn’t wait any longer.

After Husso gave up three goals on seven shots in the first period to the Sabres on Monday night, leaving the Red Wings in an early 3-2 hole, Lalonde tapped Cossa to come on in relief for his NHL debut.

And just in case the malaise of this Red Wings season made you forget the romance hockey can provide, then how’s this? Detroit came back to win Cossa’s debut, pulling off a third-period comeback to finally take it 6-5 in a shootout.

Here’s five thoughts on how it happened, what it means and where Detroit stands after breaking its losing streak.

1. For as anticipated as Cossa’s debut has been — particularly after a strong start to the season in AHL Grand Rapids — the circumstances in which he entered this game were tough.

Coming in “cold” is a big part of that, even out of intermission. By the time Cossa entered the game, it had been more than an hour since warm-ups ended. That left him to find his footing quickly, which may have played a role in the first goal Buffalo scored, a rebound tally by Nicolas Aubé-Kubel — though it would have been a tough save even in rhythm.

But the situation was tough from a bigger-picture perspective too: coming in down a goal, trying to stop a five-game losing streak? That’s a lot of pressure for a player who turned 22 just a couple weeks ago. And credit to Cossa: after getting beaten by two goals in the first 10 minutes (the second on a power move by a driving Jason Zucker), he responded. It wasn’t a heavy-volume outing, but he stopped 12 of 14 on the night and gave the Red Wings a chance to make a comeback after ending the second period down 5-3.

And they rewarded him by getting a pair of third-period goals, sending them game into overtime and eventually a shootout. There, Cossa stopped two of three for the win — a sorely-needed victory for a Red Wings team that had lost all five games on this skid by just a goal.

2. As for what this means for Cossa in the grand scheme, that still depends on the health of Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot. If neither is ready to play for Detroit’s next game Thursday in Philadelphia, it’s possible Cossa could make his first start then. That would seem like a fitting reward for getting the Red Wings the win Monday night, and give Cossa the chance to show what he can do with a full day of starter’s preparation.

That being said, with two days between games and a short night Monday, it’s not inconceivable to imagine Lalonde going back to Husso, either. The Red Wings know they have to be conscious of overwork with Husso, but the time between games could be enough. We’ll have to wait and see — and it starts with Talbot and Lyon.

At some point, those two will be healthy, and Cossa will almost assuredly go back to Grand Rapids and look to take the Griffins on a deep run. But whenever that time comes, and however many games he plays until then, just getting this one win feels already like a significant positive for him.

He has now seen NHL speed, both in practices and in games, and thus has a framework to prepare from. He has the confidence boost from getting a win. And he got that win in dramatic circumstances — from the mid-game change to a shootout — which should give him some confidence for handling future adversity, too.  That’s about the best you can ask for in this kind of situation.

3. It’s probably not what anyone wants to hear in the midst of a long playoff drought, but nights like Monday are starting to seem increasingly like what this season is going to be about in Detroit.

The Red Wings are only 28 games in, but while they’re technically only three games out of a playoff spot, there are so many teams between them and that spot that it’s hard to really imagine them finally snapping their streak this season. That doesn’t make it impossible, by any means, but it would take a big step up in play to really buy into the chase.

That’s a letdown from last year, no doubt, and fans are perfectly justified in losing patience. Although I will say a top draft pick would be far from the worst thing for this rebuild, especially if it lands in the lottery range.

After last year’s offensive explosion, the Red Wings are back to looking like they’re in clear need of offensive difference-makers most nights. They scored five goals Monday, which is good to see, but outside of their top forward line, they really struggle to create consistent chances. All of the draft’s top four players — Boston College center James Hagens,  OHL forwards Porter Martone and Michael Misa and OHL defenseman Matthew Schaefer — look like offensive difference-makers, and they mostly fit Detroit’s draft profiles at each position, too.

It’s too early to think too much about the draft right now, though, and my real point here is about how to assess the NHL games. A night like Monday is most notable for Cossa getting his first win, and for the way Detroit’s building blocks played. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson were once again a force on the blue line. Lucas Raymond stayed red-hot.

For as much analysis as there will be around how the Red Wings can improve, both this year and in the future, the quickest path forward involves all of those players all reaching their full potential. They’re on the right track to doing so.

4. One player in that group stood out in particular on Monday, and that was Seider.

Of course, he had the game-tying goal, assisted by Raymond and Edvinsson, and added an assist in the first period. But he also had some massive hits, including one in the third period that directly preceded Detroit’s two late goals to tie it.

I don’t know if that’s causation or just coincidence, but I think seeing Seider that engaged even amid a tough stretch goes a long way for the Red Wings. Detroit has been in need of a spark, and he gave them more than that on Monday.

5. One player Detroit does need to find a way to get going: Patrick Kane.

He missed some time with injury, so it’s fair to give him a few games to find his rhythm, but the Red Wings rely on Kane to be a big piece of the offensive puzzle. He of course has his limitations physically — he won’t win too many board battles down low, or open-ice races to the puck — but finding more ways to take advantage of his offensive IQ and playmaking feels paramount.

On Monday, they had him with Marco Kasper and Michael Rasmussen, which certainly gives him a couple of players who can retrieve pucks. I’ve wondered before about playing him with Kasper and someone like J.T. Compher, who has similar elements plus a bit more touch — though Compher is another player Detroit probably wants a bit more from. That hypothetical combination would have complications, especially if Compher were on the wing (leaving Detroit without a right-shot center on any line), but it feels like a good fit stylistically for all three.

Regardless: Kane’s offensive skill set is still good enough to be producing more than he has so far, and finding a way to get him going is going to be key in the coming weeks.

(Top photo of Sebastian Cossa: Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images)