Captain Clutch: Dylan Larkin weighs in after playing the role of OT hero for the Detroit Red Wings
They needed to win a crucial game, and they delivered when it mattered most. The Detroit Red Wings secured a hard-fought two points by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime, 5-4, with Dylan Larkin sealing the victory with his decisive goal.
The Red Wings rebounded from losing their 4-1 lead
Larkin secured the win last night with his overtime goal, salvaging the Red Wings from what could have been a humiliating defeat after squandering their 4-1 lead. Buoyed by two goals from Alex DeBrincat, as well as tallies from Simon Edvinsson and David Perron, Detroit surged to a three-goal advantage by the end of the 1st intermission.
Nevertheless, Toronto staged a comeback, with Nic Robertson, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares each finding the net to level the score at 4-4. For Matthews, it was his NHL-leading 69th goal of the season.
Dylan Larkin scored the OT winner
The Red Wings took advantage of a late-period penalty to Max Domi, as Larkin converted in the extra session to send Detroit home victorious.
“We’ve been fighting for our lives here,” said Larkin afterward. “The sacrifice and attitude of the guys has been unbelievable. We got rewarded tonight for all the hard work that we’ve done the last stretch here, where we haven’t been getting rewarded.”
Meanwhile, Larkin was sure to give a shoutout to goaltender James Reimer, the former Maple Leafs who was appearing in his 500th NHL contest.
“We were happy to get it to the intermission with how the second period went,” Larkin said. “Our message was win a period, win a game.
“It ended up that it went a little bit extra but we got two points and Reims was a huge part of it in his 500th game. I can’t be happier for him.”
Naturally, Larkin also complimented DeBrincat, who broke a personal slump with two goals in the first period.
“He was unbelievable tonight,” Larkin said about DeBrincat. “He’s been going and it finally went in for him tonight.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings earned a massive two points in the standings with an OT win over the Maple Leafs
- Dylan Larkin scored the OT winner to keep Detroit’s playoff hopes alive
- Larkin complimented both James Reimer and Alex DeBrincat in his postgame comments
Bottom Line: A pair of games remain
The Red Wings needed to secure at least one point to maintain their mathematical standing, and they exceeded expectations by earning two points with their overtime victory against Toronto.
Their upcoming matchup against another division rival, the Montreal Canadiens, at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night looms as a pivotal contest. Needless to say, it’s a crucial game for Detroit.
