Detroit Red Wings
Despite Larkin's Sacrifice, Red Wings Drop Playoff-like Game to Florida, 3-2 in Shootout
Dylan Larkin played through an injury and scored a crucial tying goal, but he couldn't lead the Red Wings past Florida alone in a playoff-like atmosphere
Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports - Despite Larkin's Sacrifice, Red Wings Drop Playoff-like Game to Florida, 3-2 in ShootoutDylan Larkin knew the Red Wings just needed a win.
It sounds obvious, right, but at this point in the season, anything but a win further jeopardized their chances of making the playoffs. Anything but a win could make this another failed season for Detroit.
Despite Larkin's sacrifice of playing through pain after he was injured on his first shift, the Red Wings couldn't get all the way to a win. In a playoff-like slugfest against the Florida Panthers (47-22-5), a deep team that peppered them with shot attempts, the Red Wings (36-30-8 overall) hung on to earn a point. But as much as Detroit clawed in this game, and as much as Larkin gave up comfort for a chance to win, his team couldn't bank the second point in the shootout.
Larkin knows how much he means to this Red Wings team. There's a reason they lost five straight games when he was injured against the Panthers at the start of this month. There's a reason they've played much better since his return. He makes this team tick, and they desperately needed him against Florida. After taking a puck off the back of his leg on his very first shift, getting helped off the ice afterward, Larkin stayed in the game. Whether noble or foolish, he wanted to give his team a chance to win.
He did more than his fair share to do so, scoring the tying goal with four minutes left to force overtime in a game Detroit hadn't really controlled. The Panthers held a 39-23 edge in shots overall, one that would've been higher without 23 blocks by the Red Wings. Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped grade-A's and other high-danger shots to keep them in it, but Florida absolutely deserved to win in regulation with the way it played.
Beating Florida was always going to come down to being opportunistic. The Panthers control games through physical forechecking replicated by four rolling lines, and that sort of pressure was difficult for Detroit to stand up to. But with a power-play goal by Robby Fabbri 10 minutes in, the Red Wings held a lead for 45 minutes. Despite the run of play, they had a chance to win at a desperate point in the season.
Meanwhile, Larkin continued to play while gutting out his injury.The effects of the injury showed throughout the game, as his agility and speed seemed lower than usual. But in a game the Red Wings absolutely had to have, there was no way that Larkin wanted to leave.
Forechecking and defending, Larkin made a difference all game, but he really started to make waves in the third period. His play paid off when he drew a cross-checking penalty by Aaron Ekblad midway through the third frame. Still up 1-0 off Fabbri's goal, the Red Wings had a chance to score an insurance marker. Yet, they didn't get it. A few errant passes and some hesitation to shoot nullified the chance, and the Panthers sparked their own shortly after. Ekblad dug deep coming out of the penalty box to help set up a chance for Alexander Barkov, and Barkov finally beat Lyon on the 33rd shot he faced.
Even if the score was knotted, Detroit still had a chance to win. All it needed was the next goal to leave this game with a win. Instead, a catastrophic play threatened to send them home pointless.
Entering the zone with speed a few minutes after his first goal, Barkov threaded through the Red Wings’ defense and whacked at the puck that rolled in front of the net. Defenseman Moritz Seider attempted to clear it out, but he poked the puck toward the net, off the post and past Lyon. In a span of three minutes, Detroit went from surviving in a much-needed win to failing to capture another heart-breaker.
Detroit needed this win — there was no way around it. So, Larkin dug deep. On the power play a minute later, Larkin played the hero. Still ailing from his early injury, Larkin fired a goal-line one-timer off of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the 2-2 tie. Such a play earned a crucial overtime point for the Red Wings, offering some payoff for Larkin's sacrifice.
However, they didn't get the whole two points they were looking for. Despite an overtime power play when Alex DeBrincat missed two good chances at the net including a ringing post, the Red Wings couldn't convert their opportunities. Heading to a shootout, Lyon let in the first attempt by Sam Reinhart before stopping the next two shots. Missed chances by Lucas Raymond and Patrick Kane put the game's fate on Dylan Larkin's shoulders. With the game on his stick, he couldn't beat Bobrovsky either.
Larkin did all he could, and it's a credit to the Red Wings that they scrounged for an overtime point in a game they didn't really control. Such opportunism is the way they'll have to play if they make the playoffs, let alone to make them in the first place. The missed opportunity of that second point is sure to bother them, though, in a race to even get to those playoffs when every point matters. Right now, they're only a point back of Washington for the final wild card spot, but that's with two extra games played.
Thanks to Larkin's sacrifice, Detroit got a crucial point. But without much support throughout the lineup, they couldn't get the win they were looking for.
Got a Question?
We've got answers. Submit your questions to THN Detroit's first ever mailbag today. We'll give you our thoughts on all the Detroit hockey topics you're wondering about. A few lucky questions will be featured on next week's episode of The Silky Mitten State podcast. Submit your questions on this Google Form.