Michael Rasmussen’s week has taken a sharp turn.
Not long after Todd McLellan was praising the veteran forward for the way he had reset his game, the Red Wings coach is sending Rasmussen to the press box. Rasmussen will be a healthy scratch Thursday night when Detroit continues its four-game road trip against the Florida Panthers.
The decision comes with the Red Wings mired in a four-game losing streak, and Rasmussen has been at the center of some costly breakdowns. In Detroit’s 2-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Trevor Connelly slipped around Rasmussen as he entered the attacking zone, found space and fired a low shot past Daniil Tarasov for the game-winning goal.
Then on Tuesday in a 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Rasmussen lost a board battle to Robert Thomas, which helped spark the sequence that ended with Jimmy Snuggerud scoring the winner. ESPN analyst and former NHL player Jody Shelley was critical of Rasmussen on the play, calling out his soft work along the wall.
Both goals came late in regulation.
A little more than a week ago, McLellan was talking about Rasmussen in a very different light. He said, “He came to camp one, to re establish himself and two, to become an important part of the club,” McLellan said. “You could sense it right away just with his approach to practice and his confidence level.
“He reset that and I believe he’s played a heavier, harder game. He’s held onto pucks down low.
He’s been on the penalty kill blocking shots, given us some real good minutes, net front in the power play. And he’s been a real big factor in providing screens there.
“He’s a big man with some hands around the net that can get tips and touches. So I like his complete game right now.”
Now, after one week, Rasmussen is out and Carter Mazur is back in. Mazur, who was a healthy scratch against St. Louis, will return to the lineup and take Rasmussen’s spot.
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