Head coach Derek Lalonde says Detroit Red Wings ‘earned’ their 3-2 overtime win over the Panthers Wednesday night.
The Detroit Red Wings secured a come-from-behind victory against the division-rival Florida Panthers on Wednesday evening in Sunrise. Their critical 3-2 victory in overtime propelled them past the Toronto Maple Leafs, securing the 3rd spot in the Atlantic Division. And according to Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, the Red Wings have ‘earned’ their standing.
The Red Wings emerged victorious over the Panthers in overtime
Following a scoreless first period marked by animosity between the two teams, Panthers forward Sam Reinhart opened the scoring in the 2nd period, giving Florida a 1-0 lead. However, Detroit forward Michael Rasmussen reached the double-digit goal mark by deflecting home his 10th tally of the season.
Florida quickly regained the lead less than 20 seconds later, with Gustav Forsling banging a rebound past goaltender Alex Lyon. This marked Lyon’s first start back in Florida since signing with the Red Wings in the offseason, following his time with the Panthers last year.
Robby Fabbri‘s 13th goal of the season leveled the score once again, leading the two teams into overtime. Detroit started the extra session with a man advantage, courtesy of a penalty taken by Florida late in regulation. Captain Dylan Larkin capitalized on the opportunity, scoring his 18th goal to secure the additional point for Detroit.
Derek Lalonde says Detroit Red Wings have earned their spot in the standings
According to head coach Derek Lalonde, the Red Wings have earned their spot in the standings, surpassing the Toronto Maple Leafs for 3rd overall.
“I’ll peak at the standings tonight,” Lalonde said. “We’ve earned it. We got what we deserved here by playing the right way. It’s still a long way to go, you can see all the teams bunched up. You’re going to have to have some quality runs to keep yourself in the battle and we’ve had a few of them.“
“We’ve had a couple 5-1-0 stretches and now we’re on a 6-0-1. You have to find a way to have some of these runs and fortunately we’re in the midst of one right now.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings earned a massive victory on Wednesday night, defeating the Florida Panthers by a 3-2 final score in overtime
- Captain Dylan Larkin’s 18th goal of the season in the extra session served as the deciding goal
- Head coach Derek Lalone believes that the Red Wings have earned their place in the standings thanks to their hot streak
Bottom Line: Red Wings have rebounded in 2024
It was paramount for the Red Wings to get back into the postseason chase after their slump in December, and they’ve made the most of their games so far in the calendar year of 2024.
They will next take on the Carolina Hurricanes from PNC Arena in Raleigh this Friday.
