| Detroit Free Press
Dylan Larkin learned a “lesson” in Detroit Red Wings’ 3-2 OT loss against Florida
Dylan Larkin interview after Red Wings 3-2 OT loss to Florida. January 30, 2021.
Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Red Wings looked better with even force, but their power play remains a huge blemish.
They organized it Florida Panthers on Saturday in the first of two weekend games at Little Caesars Arena, a short break sandwiched between road trips. The Wings pushed the game to extra time before losing 3-2, extending their winless streak to five.
“We played them 5-to-5,” said Dylan Larkin. “We played a solid game and that was what we wanted to come home.”
Tyler Bertuzzi scored his fifth goal of the season, but left the game after two bouts with an upper body injury. Coach Jeff Blashill did not have a status update on Bertuzzi immediately after the game, except that he is doubtful for Sunday’s rematch.
Anthony Mantha broke a five-game drought and scored his second goal of the season.
[ Detroit Red Wings take step back during road trip: ‘Now we’re fighting against ourselves’ ]
Bertuzzi’s goal gave the Wings the lead, but they let the momentum slip as Keith Yandle converted on a power play with 0.5 seconds to go in the first period.
The Wings didn’t generate much offensive zone time in the first half of the second period, but Thomas Greiss just came through. It didn’t help when they had men’s benefits, which has been a challenge since the start of the season. Blashill messaged two of his most talented players, leaving Mantha and Dylan Larkin on the first two power plays.
“It’s something we have to look at for the team. It didn’t work, so try it with other guys, ”Larkin said. “We haven’t been good enough, so it was time to change things. I think it was just a good lesson for me to just watch from the couch. “
Aleksi Heponiemi scored halfway through extra time to bring the Wings back to 2-5-2. Overall, though, it was an improvement on how poorly the Wings played in their previous game, when they conceded seven goals in Dallas.
“That’s the response we needed,” Larkin said. “That’s how we should play. We played well. “
Wings are the first to score twice
Mantha scored with five minutes to play in the first period, strode to the net and hit a loose puck after Sergei Bobrovsky made the save on Taro Hirose. Mantha has had a tough start to the season, with only four points and a minus 10 rating in the game. Hirose, called up from the taxi crew because Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina are in the COVID-19 protocol, earned his second assist in three games. Bertuzzi made it 2-1 when he grabbed Larkin’s shot and found a nearly open net.
To send a message
After hitting 1-for-7 on Thursday’s power play, Blashill rescheduled the personnel under the two units. On Saturday, he made significant changes to the first two power plays, leaving Larkin and Mantha behind. Mantha has had a rough start, scoring one goal in eight games, but he and Larkin are two of the best offensive players on the team. In the first power plays, one unit had Hirose with Bobby Ryan with Michael Rasmussen, Christian Djoos and Filip Hronek. The other unit had Vladislav Namestnikov, Valtteri Filppula, Danny DeKeyser, Brome and Bertuzzi. Larkin and Mantha were used in later power plays.
“Our power play wasn’t good enough, and I think that’s what defines madness – it does the same thing over and over,” Blashill said. “We felt like we would try some other guys to give them a chance to see how they would do. And when they couldn’t do it, we went back to Larkin and Mantha to see what they would do. Ultimately, power plays aren’t a whole bunch of schedules, it’s about going out and running and making plays. Someone has to play better in those situations. If it’s Larks and Mantha, great. If it’s someone else, great. I’m not sure how you will find out if it’s someone else if you don’t try other people. “
Jeff Blashill breaks down Detroit Red Wings’ 3-2 OT loss against Florida
Interview with Jeff Blashill after the loss of Red Wings 3-2 OT against Florida. January 30, 2021
Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press
Panthers gain strength
The Wings were two minutes into the game for a shortened situation when Mathias Brome was called for holding. Aleksander Barkov was stuck for 66 seconds, one of three shots to the net during the Panthers’ men’s advantage. When the Wings started a power game at 5:19 a.m., they barely managed to line up and aimed a shot at Bobrovsky. The Panthers went 2-for-2 on power plays during that period, with Yandle showing why it’s a good idea not to give up the puck until the horn sounds.
Please contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Learn more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available through her email.