DETROIT — It had been a while for Michael Rasmussen.
The Red Wings' grinding, 6-foot-6 forward hadn't gotten his name on the scoresheet since Jan. 5, when Rasmussen scored a goal in a 5-3 victory over Ottawa.
Since then, a span of 32 games and 281 days, Rasmussen didn't register a point until the 2-1 victory over Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 15.
And Rasmussen picked a good time to do it. Rasmussen found Andrew Copp during a scramble in front of the Philadelphia net with about five minutes to play to break a tie.
Rasmussen finally got on the scoresheet. But coach Todd McLellan wasn't necessarily looking at goals and assists to view Rasmussen's importance to the Wings.
In the coaching staff's eyes, Rasmussen, 27, is looked upon in other ways.
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"We're not going to sit here and evaluate Ras on points," McLellan said. "That's just not how we're going to do it. Everyone else in the world can but we're not. His contribution to the team so far has been through his size, which he's used well."
Rasmussen, a 2017 first-round draft pick, has been more of a factor defensively in his NHL career and has been grading well in those areas in this season's opening weeks.
"He's been penalty killing, he checks, he's taken hits to create opportunities for other players, and he has loosened pucks up on the forecheck," McLellan said.
McLellan talked about meeting with Rasmussen before the beginning of training camp about viewing the upcoming season as an opportunity to put last season in the rearview mirror. Rasmussen was limited to six goals and 14 points in 64 games, and he wasn't as much a factor defensively.
"We talked to him about having a fresh start and we'd give him every opportunity to have that," McLellan said. "He's held up his end of the bargain."
Rasmussen has looked engaged and eager to make an impact physically.
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"I've liked his game better this season," McLellan said. "He's more physically involved, there’s more contact and he's playing a more aggressive game. I don't think Ras is going to be counted on to score a boatload of goals or points. He's going to give us what he can. But I do think his game has been better this year than it was at the end of last year."
Copp, who converted the pass from Rasmussen for the goal, hopes that'll ignite Rasmussen. The line of Copp, Rasmussen and Nate Danielson showed tenacity and provided a spark late against the Flyers.
"If you're scoring or (getting) assists, it's just good to get on the sheet," Copp said. "He's been making some good plays, and hopefully he'll get some confidence."
DeBrincat gets an 'A'
Alex DeBrincat, fresh off signing a lucrative contract extension earlier in the week, was given an 'A' on his jersey for the game against Philadelphia.
DeBrincat will join Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider as alternate captains. The Wings took the captaincy from Dylan Larkin after he requested a trade this summer. There isn't a timeframe, according to interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, as to when a new captain will be named.
But giving a letter to DeBrincat was an easy choice, given the way DeBrincat approaches the game.
McLellan was an assistant coach on the Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup team and saw different forms of leadership. McLellan sees DeBrincat's style as a mix of different forms of leadership.
"The Cup team, we had Drapes (Kris Draper) and Malts (Kirk Maltby) who were the cheerleaders and energy guys in the locker room, they were always chirping and going,"McLellan said. "We had (Nicklas) Lidstrom on the ice that was our playing leader, and he just did things right all the time. Then we had the social guys that kind of put the team together and kept them together, the glue guys. It came from all over the place.
"Cat hits all of those areas. He leads by example on the ice. He's not an overly 'rah-rah' guy but he speaks up when he needs to, and when he does people pay attention.
"Off the ice, he's become a glue guy. He taps into a lot of different things."
DeBrincat insists the Wings have a variety of leaders on this roster.
"I just try to go out there and lead in the ways I know I can, and play, work hard, and show everyone I'm here to win," DeBrincat said. "There's a lot of leaders in that room and a lot of guys that lead in different ways. One of the ways I lead is just by my play, working hard, and going out there every night and doing anything we can to win."
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michael Rasmussen ends point drought during 'fresh start' with Wings