The Detroit Red Wings are tied for the Atlantic Division lead after Wednesday's overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, but they've got their sights on bigger and better things.
For the first time since the 1995-96 NHL season, the Detroit Red Wings have swept a regular-season series (minimum of four games) against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
They capped the season series on Wednesday evening in Toronto with a dramatic 2-1 victory in overtime, thanks to Dylan Larkin's third overtime goal of the campaign.
With the victory, the Red Wings moved back into a first-place tie atop the Atlantic Division standings with the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, whom Larkin victimized with an OT winner back in October.
While the team's vibes are high right now, it doesn't mean they'll stay satisfied with their current position.
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"I think there's also maybe a shift in mentality with our team of, yes, winning is fun and coming to the rink when you're winning is way better than when you're losing," Larkin said. "But I think our team is pushing for more and maybe not even satisfied with where we're at."
It became clear that a shift in mentality took hold just over a year ago, in late December 2024, when head coach Derek Lalonde and assistant Bob Boughner were dismissed and replaced by Todd McLellan and Trent Yawney.
The Red Wings soon rattled off a pair of seven-game winning streaks following McLellan’s arrival, and while they ultimately fell short of the postseason, they have remained largely consistent this season and are well-positioned to end their playoff drought this spring.
"That's Todd (McLellan) and Yawns (Trent Yawney) coming in and creating that environment of pushing and pushing, and we've responded well to it," Larkin continued. "It's been kind of interesting being in this position, and we're pushing harder than we have before."
Larkin gave credit to Seider, who not only forced a turnover from Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan in overtime but then fed Larkin a pass that ultimately resulted in the overtime winner.
“He’s got a diesel engine, he chases us like that in practice all the time, and I knew when he started chasing Cowan that he was going to get the puck because he does it," Larkin explained. "He plays like that, starting in Training Camp, every day really."
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