DETROIT – Derek Lalonde couldn’t have penned a better script for his NHL head-coaching debut.
The same could be said for Elmer Soderblom’s first game in the league and Ville Husso’s Detroit Red Wings debut.
It was a terrific night for firsts as the Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 Friday in their season-opener at Little Caesars Arena.
Soderblom, the 6-8 rookie who surprised by making the roster, scored the game-winning goal. Husso made 29 saves for his fourth shutout in 58 career games.
And Lalonde, 50, finally had that “Wow!” moment as the new voice for the Red Wings.
“I’ve probably been asked throughout the (preseason), have you had that wow moment, and I said I’ll hopefully have that wow moment when we win,” Lalonde said. “I had a little of that wow moment. Just excited about how well we played, how complete of a game we played.
“Love the way our guys stuck with it, hung in there and they got what they deserved.”
Many things Lalonde stressed in preseason came to fruition. His team played fast, was on top of the opposition for most of the night, played tight defensively and got its share of opportunities as a result, with 40 shots, including 25 in the first period, its highest output in a period since 2010.
“The important thing is not only getting the first win but getting it the right way,” Lalonde said. “We played a complete game. You worry a little bit about the psyche of playing well and not getting rewarded with the outcome. Tonight, it all came through for us.”
Lalonde is the fourth consecutive coach to win in his Red Wings debut, joining Jeff Blashill (4-0 vs. Toronto), Mike Babcock (5-1 vs. St. Louis) and Dave Lewis (6-3 at San Jose).
Soderblom stars on opening night
Soderblom fired in the puck from the crease following a wraparound attempt by Michael Rasmussen at 2:33 of the third period to open the scoring.
He is the fourth Red Wing in the past 10 years to score in his NHL debut, joining Brian Lashoff, Dylan Larkin and Dennis Cholowski. Parents Martin and Susanne arrived from Sweden this week to watch his debut.
“It’s hard to describe but it was an unbelievable feeling and really fun to play,” Soderblom said.
“The crowd and the fans were amazing. I’m just looking forward to playing more games in front of them.”
An octopus was tossed onto the ice after he scored.
“I don’t know the tradition but it’s fun to see,” Soderblom said.
Soderblom, drafted 159th overall in 2019, registered five shots in 12:58.
“He handled tonight way better than I even expected,” Lalonde said. “I trusted him in every situation, a lot more responsible with the puck. He didn’t get lost in coverage at times, either through the neutral zone or the D-zone, which he did a little bit in exhibition. He got rewarded with a goal. Really happy with Elmer.”
Said Soderblom: “I want to play with the puck and be able to protect it, shield it, and do stuff with the puck. I want to be a little more physical in the games. Just go to pay attention to all the details.”
Rasmussen’s empty-net goal with 1:01 remaining made it 2-0. He finished with a goal and two assists. Oskar Sundqvist had two assists.
At 6-8, Soderblom is the tallest player in Red Wings history. Rasmussen is 6-6 and Sundqvist 6-3. They form what is quite possibly the biggest line in NHL history.
“I think we were a heavy line to play against and I think we played well together,” Soderblom said.
Said Lalonde: “That was the vision of putting that line together. I really thought they set themselves up (with a strong first shifts) and they got the hard goal from below the goal line, which is exciting.”
Husso calm in net
Husso wasn’t as busy as counterpart Jake Allen but made several big stops, including a glove save on Josh Anderson during a third-period power play.
“If we’re not playing chaotic in front of him, he can look like that,” Lalonde said. “For the most part we made it comfortable for him. That’s going to be our goal going forward.”
Lalonde opted to start Husso over Alex Nedeljkovic, who’ll start tonight in New Jersey (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit).
“We played a great game, 60 minutes,” Husso said. “I feel like we were on top of them all the time. Kind of like one of those game that as a goalie you enjoy playing. You trust the team and guys are doing a great job, blocking shots and all that.”
Maatta’s minutes
Olli Maatta, also making his Red Wings debut, scored the second empty-net goal and led the ice in ice time (22:39).
“I think (assistant coach Bob Boughner) trusted him and then (Ben) Chiarot had some technical issues – any piece of equipment that could have gone south on him in the first period did -- and Maatta picked up those minutes, so good game for him.”
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