Red Wings Continue Their Hot Start, Skate Past Panthers 4-1
The Detroit Red Wings are starting to look like a team on a mission. On Wednesday night, they handled the Florida Panthers 4-1 at Little Caesars Arena, earning their third straight win behind sharp execution, veteran leadership, and another stellar night in net from Cam Talbot.
This one wasn’t about flash; it was about grit, chemistry, and smart hockey.
A Scoreless First Period Gives Way to a Red Wings Surge
Neither team found the scoreboard in the opening 20 minutes, but the Red Wings’ energy hinted that something was building.
“We’ve been a good second period team…We’ve really built momentum,” Dylan Larkin said postgame. “I feel like we’ve done that well.”
That pressure paid off. Just two minutes into the second, Mason Appleton buried a setup from Larkin to open the scoring. Not long after, Patrick Kane extended the lead on the power play, assisted by Larkin and Moritz Seider; a reminder of just how dangerous Detroit’s special teams can be.
Florida’s Brad Marchand broke through later in the period for the Panthers’ only goal, but that was as close as they’d get.
Finishing Strong: Detroit Style
The third period belonged entirely to Detroit. With the Panthers pressing late and pulling their goalie, Appleton struck again for his second of the night, this time assisted by Michael Rasmussen and Alex DeBrincat. Rasmussen would follow with an empty-netter of his own, also set up by DeBrincat, sealing the 4-1 victory.
For Appleton, who’s finding quick chemistry on Larkin’s line, the formula is simple. “It was just kind of simple, fast, hard hockey. Not a crazy recipe,” he said. “ It’s just getting pucks to the net and finding spots and places to get myself into scoring chances.”
That simplicity has worked wonders. Appleton now has three goals in his last two games, and his presence on Detroit’s top line has been a perfect fit while Lucas Raymond remains day-to-day.
Talbot Locked In
Meanwhile, goalie Cam Talbot continued his strong run in net, stopping 20 of 21 shots. His calm presence allowed Detroit to stay aggressive and confident late.
“There’s not much more to say than than Cam’s performance in Toronto was very special. And then to follow it up again tonight… When he gets hot he can be one of the top goalies in the league. So that’s a great sign for our hockey team.”
-Dylan Larkin via Detroit Red Wings
What’s Next
With the win, Detroit improves to 3-1 and continues to build early-season momentum against quality opponents.
“We got challenged right away from day one about being resilient, mentally tough. I think we’ve all showed it and we’ve showed that we’re capable of it… I’ve been impressed with the rebound and our whole lineup, every guy in this room has responded well.”
-Dylan Larkin via Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings will look to extend their streak this weekend as they continue to fine-tune a game that’s already starting to feel like vintage Hockeytown.
