Detroit Red Wings’ Marco Kasper on the secret to his success
Detroit Red Wings’ Marco Kasper, April 19, 2025 in Detroit.
Lucas Raymond scored twice to lead Sweden into the semifinals of the World Championship, but a Detroit Red Wings teammate stalled out in the quarterfinals.
And in what would turn out to be the most thrilling quarterfinal Thursday, May 22, Denmark upset hockey powerhouse Canada, 2-1, before a jubilant home crowd at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, Denmark.
There was nothing close about the earlier game in Herning: Marco Kasper’s Austrians were routed, 6-0, by central European neighbor Switzerland.
At Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, the home team beat Czechia, 5-2. In the earlier quarterfinal there, the U.S. beat Finland, 5-2.
The U.S. next plays Sweden on Saturday, May 24, while Denmark faces Switzerland.
Austria’s loss doesn’t diminish how much Kasper accomplished. The 21-year-old forward, coming off a standout second half of his rookie season, finished with four goals and three assists at the World Championship. It was a great opportunity for him to show how he performs in high-pressure games, and he more than held his own.
Raymond’s output in the quarters gives him four goals and six assists after eight games. His first goal against the Czechs came late in the first period when he picked up a loose puck at center ice and sped off on a breakaway, driving to the net and scoring on Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. Raymond scored his second goal minutes later when he held onto the puck in the slot until he found an opening.
Sweden, Switzerland and the U.S. all held up as the higher seeds in their quarterfinals, and all the games ended with differentials of at least three goals.
But Canada could not hold up as the favorites. It was a scoreless game until Travis Sanheim gave Canada the lead five minutes into the third period. That stood until the final minutes when Nikolaj Ehlers — a potential free agent target for the Wings this summer — scored a second straight clutch goal since joining Denmark for the final game of the preliminary round.
Had the Danes lost that game, they would have been eliminated from the tournament. Now the Danes are onto the semifinals for the first time in history.
Nick Olesen scored with 49 seconds to play in regulation to send home the Canadians, whose NHL-laden roster included Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Jordan Binnington.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.