“Huge” OT goal by Ben Chiarot gives Detroit Red Wings split on 4-game road trip

This afternoon’s OT goal by Ben Chiarot secured a “huge” two points for the Detroit Red Wings.

Thanks to an overtime heroics display by defenseman Ben Chiarot, the Detroit Red Wings bounced back from losing their first two games of the four-game road trip to finish with a 2-2 record. They secured an exciting 4-3 overtime victory against the Seattle Kraken on Monday afternoon, with Chiarot’s goal marking his 4th of the season. Notably, the goal came shortly after the Red Wings successfully killed off a Seattle power-play opportunity, and in Chiarot’s words, it was a “huge” way to end the trip.

The Red Wings emerged victorious in a back-and-forth game vs. the Kraken

The Red Wings struck first in the 1st period when defenseman Moritz Seider scored from the blue line, beating Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord. However, the Kraken applied sustained pressure in the Detroit defensive zone and managed to tie the game late in the opening frame, courtesy of Jared McCann, their leading goal scorer.

Lucas Raymond continued his hot streak, scoring for the second consecutive game and putting Detroit back on top, only for McCann to respond once more for the Kraken. Daniel Sprong, who played with the Kraken last season, regained the lead for Detroit with his 15th goal of the season.

However, Jaden Schwartz tied the game on a delayed penalty call in the 3rd period, capitalizing on a moment when goaltender Alex Lyon lost his balance and wasn’t in prime position to stop the shot. With less than two minutes left in regulation, defenseman Olli Maatta took an ill-timed cross-checking penalty, putting the Kraken in prime position to seize the lead. However, Detroit would successfully kill the man-advantage that carried over into overtime.

Soon afterward, Chiarot would score his 4th goal of the season after taking a pass from Dylan Larkin and beating Daccord with a well-placed shot. The Detroit Red Wings earned the second point, giving them a total of 64 so far through 55 games.

The OT goal by Ben Chiarot earned the Detroit Red Wings a “huge” extra point

The Red Wings currently hold the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and every point available is crucial as they strive to make a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.

“It was a nice job Ray (Lucas Raymond) and Larks driving the right side and I just tried to find a soft spot,” Chiarot said. “Larks made a great little backhand pass to me and I just tried to shoot it.”

“It’s huge, especially this time of year and where we are in the standings,” Chiarot continued. “Big two points, four points in the last two games, and especially after the way we started the trip.”

Meanwhile, Lyon bounced back from his two previous outings, during which he allowed a total of 11 goals, by making 38 saves in the game.

“I felt good mentally,” Lyon said. “It’s a grind and I didn’t feel the sharpest those two games early on. I was just happy to contribute to a win, as always. I’m just super proud of the guys. It’s just awesome, the emotion and the way we battled back. It’s kind of been our story going, just happy and it’ll be a happy plane back.”

TL;DR (too long didn’t read)

Bottom Line: Detroit won the pair of games they had to have

While the first two games of the trip were disappointing, the Detroit Red Wings rebounded with crucial victories over the Calgary Flames and Kraken. Avoiding what could have been a debilitating blow in the standings, these wins in the latter half of the road trip were essential for the team’s momentum and playoff aspirations.

The Red Wings will return to Little Caesars Arena to face the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday evening. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM, with television coverage provided by Bally Sports Detroit and radio coverage available on 97.1 The Ticket.