Larkin scores on power play at 1:09; Reinhart sets Florida record with goal in 8th straight
In Sunrise, Florida, Dylan Larkin secured a power-play goal just 1:09 into overtime, propelling the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 victory against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday. This win extended the Red Wings’ point streak to seven games.
Larkin capitalized on the power play, finding a gap five-hole past Sergei Bobrovsky from the edge of the right face-off circle. The opportunity arose after Aaron Ekblad received a minor penalty for hooking with only 39 seconds remaining in regulation.
Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, Detroit coach Derek Lalonde praised his team’s resilience, especially given the challenge of facing a top-tier team like the Panthers.
“We battled for 40 minutes, were down 2-1 going into the third, and had a chance,” Lalonde remarked. “Give these guys credit, it is very hard to win in this league. It is hard to win on the road. It is hard beating a top-echelon team, especially trailing going into the third. Good on our guys.”
Contributions came from Michael Rasmussen, who notched a goal and an assist, and Olli Maatta, who provided two assists for Detroit (23-16-5). The victory marked the Red Wings’ first against the Panthers since February 20, 2021, breaking a streak of 10 previous games without a win (0-8-2).
“It has been a tough building for us in the past few years,” remarked Larkin, the captain of the Red Wings. “They are a good hockey team, so that was a big confidence boost for us in this building. Even when we played them at home (a 2-0 loss on Nov. 2), we played a solid game. Both had a playoff feel to them.”
In his first game against the Panthers since joining the Red Wings as a free agent on July 1, Alex Lyon made an impressive 32 saves.
“Obviously, it always feels good to beat the team you played for last year, but I respect those guys, and they have a fantastic team over there,” Lyon expressed. “We played really well tonight. I am super happy for the boys. Proud of the way we battled back.”
Despite Florida’s Sam Reinhart setting a franchise record by scoring in his eighth straight game, the Panthers (27-13-4) suffered their third consecutive loss (0-1-2). Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.
“We have lost one and two in overtime where it was a 3-on-3 game (a 5-4 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday) or a 4-on-3 game, and that’s really not what the game of hockey is,” commented Panthers coach Paul Maurice. “We are not far off our game, and I believe that. … We are generating enough to win games and are not giving up a whole heck of a lot. We can be better, and you have to be better at this time of year. You have to be. Everyone you are playing are scratching and clawing.”
Reinhart’s short-handed goal gave Florida a 1-0 lead in the second period, setting a new franchise record for the longest scoring streak. Rasmussen responded for the Red Wings, tying the game 1-1 with a deflection of Maatta’s shot. Gustav Forsling quickly restored the Panthers’ lead at 2-1.
Robby Fabbri leveled the score at 2-2 in the third period, converting a backhand pass from Rasmussen. Reinhart acknowledged the tight defensive battle between the two teams and emphasized the need to learn from the game and come back stronger.