As the final seconds ticked down Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Red Wings fans rose from their seats and gave the team a standing ovation.
It’s a scene we’re not used to seeing from the home crowd. But considering the context behind the win, it’s certainly well deserved.
The Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1, but it wasn’t just about beating a fellow Original Six team and former division rival. That’s, of course, always nice.
This win was all about what’s happening off the ice.
Dylan Larkin suspension overshadows game
The Red Wings suspended Dylan Larkin after he informed them he would no longer play while waiting to be traded.
Just like Connor Hellebuyck did with the Winnipeg Jets to force his way out of Canada, Larkin is sending a strong message that he wants a trade sooner rather than later. Larkin’s agent, Pat Brisson, said as much, telling The Athletic his client has “had enough of the situation.”
Larkin is so committed to a new destination that he’s willing to forfeit about $41,000 a day to make his point. If you’re a sicko and want to watch in real time how much money Larkin is losing, visit this fun page.
This news isn’t necessarily earth-shattering. Larkin was clear at training camp that he wanted a trade, and nothing was going to change his mind. He said he would be a team player and help the Red Wings win while interim GM Shawn Horcoff searched for a deal that benefitted both sides.
Larkin even opened his trade list to 10 teams, probably realizing that his initial three-team trade list when this whole fiasco started was unreasonable.
But then he quit on his hometown team — for the second time.
The suspension happened just hours before the Red Wings were going to host the Blackhawks. Returning from a four-game road trip that went through Seattle and western Canada, this had all the makings of a trap game.
Chicago is off to a slow start, and with the added disappointment of Larkin’s suspension looming, no one would be surprised if the Red Wings had a lackluster performance.
But that’s not what happened.
Red Wings dominate Blackhawks
The Blackhawks controlled the first 10 minutes, taking an early 1-0 lead when Connor Bedard scored on a rebound after being left alone in front of the net.
But then the Red Wings found their legs.
They peppered Chicago goalie Spencer Knight with shots to end the first and continued that onslaught in the second period, outshooting the Blackhawks 13-3 in the middle frame.
Viktor Arvidsson scored his sixth goal of the season 7½ minutes into the second period, deflecting a William Wallinder point shot.
Then in the third, the Red Wings scored three straight goals, including an Arvidsson empty-netter to secure the hat trick.
According to Money Puck, the Red Wings had a 5.3-1.92 expected goals advantage in all situations. That’s a 2002 Red Wings level of dominance.
“Obviously it meant a little more,” defenseman Moritz Seider told The Athletic. “I think it came down to that this is our squad, and we got a really good group in here.”
Sure, it came against the lowly Blackhawks. A young team expected to take a step forward, but certainly not in the conversation as a playoff contender. But the Red Wings could have easily folded, as they did against the Calgary Flames, and lost to a beatable team.
But they didn’t, and maybe Larkin’s willingness to sit out gives them a chip on their shoulder they can carry for the rest of the season.
But let’s be frank: this win doesn’t automatically make the Red Wings playoff hopefuls. They’re a flawed team without a lot of depth, and losing Larkin doesn’t help. They’ll certainly take their lumps in upcoming games against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in Florida.
But no one outside of Larkin has quit. They still believe they can compete and clinch a playoff spot, as foolishly as it may be.
And that’s all you can hope for as a fan.
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