The Detroit Red Wings were humbled in their opening game against the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, however, they have found their stride. After two straight wins over the Toronto Maple Leafs, they took on the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Without Lucas Raymond, veteran forward Mason Appleton emerged as the star of the show.
Appleton, skating on the first line in Raymond's stead, scored twice against Florida. Patrick Kane added a goal himself, as well. Overall, Detroit took down Florida by a final score of 4-1. Appleton's performance gives him two goals in three games, including a game-winner against the Maple Leafs on Monday afternoon.
You have to see Mason Appleton's tally with 45 seconds remaining that gave the @DetroitRedWings back-to-back wins over Toronto! 💪 #NHLFaceOff pic.twitter.com/30f0eT3IJp
— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2025
The Red Wings forward was asked about his run of form after Wednesday's win. Appleton does not believe he's doing anything out of the ordinary. In fact, he called his approach “simple” when talking to the media after beating the Panthers.
“I think it was just simple, fast, hard hockey. Not a crazy recipe. The goal tonight, (Dylan Larkin) makes a great play and I just kind of get it on net. The empty netter is what it is. Just getting pucks to the net and finding spots to get myself into scoring chances. Kind of a simple recipe,” Appleton said in a video posted to the Red Wings' official YouTube channel.
Appleton joined the Red Wings this summer in NHL Free Agency. Initially, Detroit brought him in to serve as depth. However, the injury to Raymond saw the veteran join Dylan Larkin and rookie Emmitt Finnie on the top line.
Raymond did join Detroit on the ice for practice on Wednesday morning. However, head coach Todd McLellan held him out of the lineup. The Red Wings star suffered an injury after a brutal hit from Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev. He is currently considered day-to-day.
When Raymond returns, Appleton will slide back down the lineup. In saying this, he has shown that he can step up when needed. This makes him all the more valuable to his new team. Detroit continues its three-game homestand on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
