Energetic building: Dylan Larkin praises Detroit Red Wings fans' ‘buzz' at Little Caesars Arena during their 5-2 win over Vegas.
The Detroit Red Wings continued their strong start to the calendar year of 2024, defeating the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena last night by a 5-2 final score. According to Dylan Larkin, who scored the 200th goal of his NHL career as part of the win, he and his teammates were energized by the “buzz” in the sellout crowd.
Little Caesars Arena was buzzing during the 5-2 win over the Golden Knights Saturday night
Little Caesars Arena was abuzz, mirroring the excitement in Detroit not only for the resurgence of the Red Wings but also due to the Detroit Lions participating in the NFC Championship game later that evening, marking their first appearance since early 1992.
Throughout the arena, multiple chants of “JA-RED GOFF” and “Let's Go Lions” erupted from the enthusiastic fans, interspersed with several pro-Red Wings chants, providing an energetic atmosphere that the Red Wings fed off of.
“It’s huge, it feels pretty honored to do it at home,” Larkin stated. “It’s something you can have, I guess, and look back and be proud of. To do it against that team in a win like we had tonight was a great night. The building was unbelievable. The fans have been great all year, but tonight had a little extra buzz and we felt it and we got big saves again and locked them down when we were up 3-2.”
Larkin, who netted his 200th career goal in the 1st period, expresses deep gratitude for Detroit's depth of scoring, recognizing its pivotal role in the team's success. Currently, the Red Wings boast an impressive 10 players with at least 10 goals, showcasing the team's well-distributed offensive prowess.
“It does,” Larkin responded when asked of the difference it makes Detroit's success thanks to depth scoring. “I keep talking about the Copp line and what they’ve done. (Daniel) Sprong has chipped in a lot, Joey (Veleno) scored tonight. It’s good to see. We’re getting help from the back end. It’s our depth. We got a lot of guys that can put the puck in the net, make plays and it’s reflective in our record.”
Meanwhile, an octopus found its way onto the ice following Larkin's empty-net goal late in the 3rd period, something that the Detroit captain is hoping to see more of in the spring.
“Anytime that happens, I’d love to see a wave (of the octopus),” Larkin said. “The guys were screaming from the bench to have (the ice crew member) get it up over her head and get the crowd going but we save that for playoffs. That’s the goal in our room.”
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
- The Detroit Red Wings maintained their impressive form in 2024, securing a convincing 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.
- Notably, Dylan Larkin delivered an outstanding performance, contributing two goals, including his milestone 200th career NHL goal.
- Dylan Larkin praises Detroit Red Wings fans and the ‘buzz' they created as part of the win
Bottom Line: It's exciting times in the Motor City
The sellout crowd at Little Caesars Arena reflects the excitement in Detroit, making it a thrilling time for sports fans. The success of the Red Wings contributes to this buzz, and the anticipation is further heightened by the Detroit Lions being just one victory away from advancing to Super Bowl LVIII.
The Red Wings will have a brief break until Wednesday night when they return to Little Caesars Arena to host the Ottawa Senators in their first meeting since the infamous hit on Larkin that knocked him unconscious on December 9.
