The Detroit Red Wings had a full lineup for the first time when they met the Montreal Canadiens for the last time.
Captain Dylan Larkin scored his second overtime goal of the season, capping the night with a 3-2 victory to end the season series between the Original Six members on Saturday at Little Caesars Arena.
“I like the end result, let’s start with that,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “There’s lessons we have to learn that we have to keep getting better at. We still give up too many chances, our puck management needs to get better. But in the end you want to learn lessons while you’re winning, and we did that.”
Larkin’s two goals improved the Wings to 8-6-2.
It was the 600th all-time meeting between the old foes, 300th in Detroit. It was the third time this season but the first time the Wings wasn’t without any of there top players. Tyler Bertuzzi missed both games in Montreal because he’s unvaccinated and cannot travel under current border regulations, and Larkin missed the second game to deal with a family matter.
Ryan Poehling puts the Habs on the scoreboard five minutes into the game, firing a puck through traffic on its way behind Alex Nedeljkovic, but Larkin and Pius Suter scored a minute apart in the second period. The Wings lost Mitchell Stephens in the second period after he went hard into the boards legs first.
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Chris Wideman made it 2-2 early in the third period. Larkin scored at 1:21 of overtime, with rookie Lucas Raymond assisting. The two also paired up for an overtime goal Oct. 27 at Washington.
Dangerous play
There was a dangerous play in the first period involving Larkin, who didn’t finish last season because of a neck injury that left him in a brace for eight weeks. Larkin cut in from the boards towards the net with Montreal defenseman Jeff Petry giving chase. Petry shoved Larkin into goalie Jake Allen, causing both to crash into the pipes and sending the net off its moorings. Larkin ended up at the bottom of a pileup. The Wings trainer came out to take a look, but Larkin got up on his own and skated to the bench. Allen went down the tunnel and was replaced by Sam Montembeault.
Larkin said he was worried about Allen on the play. “I can’t do much,” Larkin said. “I’m full speed, Petry is full speed. A little push. I’m can’t move. I’m tired, I’m at the end of my shift. I can’t do anything. I think about him, I think about myself, yes, with injuries. It was a tough play and I feel really bad about it.”
Two for two
Larkin got his vengeance in the second period with a weird-angle shot, firing almost at the goal line. That was at 2:36, on the Wings first shot on goal of the period. On the next shift, rookie Moritz Seider moved the puck, skating into Montreal’s zone before passing the puck to Robby Fabbri along the boards. Fabbri centered a pass to Suter, who fired a wrist shot from the high slot to put the Wings up by a goal. That was at 3:21, on the Wings’ second shot of the period.
Shot mentality
There’s been renewed emphasis on having more of a shot mentality on man advantages, with players encouraged to shoot the puck even if they don’t have an open lane. The Wings had two power plays in the first period. Raymond did a nice job on the second power play getting the puck through, sending a really nice pass towards Tyler Bertuzzi, who was by the right goal post. Bertuzzi, though, fanned on the puck. The Wings register three shots on those two power plays, after not registering any on four power plays in Thursday’s loss to the Capitals.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.