By @StefanKubus –
DETROIT – After Detroit’s Tuesday-night win over Carolina, Dylan Larkin will be $10 richer.
That’s because his grandmother, Alice, was in attendance to see him score his first two goals of the season in the Wings’ 4-2 win over the Hurricanes – on his own bobblehead night no less. As a youth hockey player in Waterford, Larkin would receive $5 from his grandmother for each goal he scored.
“I’m not going to take her money, but, it was pretty cool that I was able to score when she was in the building,” Larkin said after the game. “She did say she wanted three, so I was one short.”
Andreas Athanasiou and Thomas Vanek joined Larkin in the game’s scoring, while Petr Mrazek turned aside 29 of 31 shots for the win. After opening the season with a pair of losses, the Wings have now won five straight games, including a sweep of their three-game homestand.
“I liked the way we closed out in the third period,” Larkin said. “Petr stood strong and we got pucks out of our zone and got them in their zone and every time they were attacking, they’d have to come 200 feet, so it was a good way to shut out them in the third and make sure we secured the win.”
Wings coach Jeff Blashill said it was that insurance goal that his team couldn’t buy last season that has been the key difference thus far this season.
“I said that to the coaching staff after the game; that’s the biggest difference is we score the fourth goal this year, so now you’ve got a two-goal cushion, so if something goes the wrong way, you’re still fine. It’s a huge difference. We’ve done that so far this season, we’ve done a good job being able to score that extra goal when we’ve needed it.”
At 4:53 of the opening frame, it was the Wings’ leading scorer who struck, as Vanek one-timed home a pass from Athanasiou in the high slot to give the Wings a 1-0 lead. Vanek tied Helm for the team lead in goals (four) and took over the point lead (eight) on the play. Helm also picked up an assist to give him his sixth point of the young season.
And on his own bobblehead night, Larkin naturally potted his first of the season, a forehand-backhand breakaway goal to beat Ward after taking a nifty backhand saucer pass from captain Henrik Zetterberg. That put the Wings up by a pair.
“It’s really nice, we’re gonna need him,” Red Wings forward Steve Ott said of Larkin notching his first goal. “He’s a powerhouse for this team and a big-time offensive threat, and when he’s skating like he does… Also now he’s off the handle now and it’s good to see. He’s gonna continue to get better every single night, and you know he’s gonna have effective scoring chances, so he’s a very, very solid threat.”
The Waterford native struck again late in the period. With the puck at the bottom of the right circle, Larkin threw the puck toward the net, looking for Frans Nielsen, but it deflected off Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce in front and past Ward. That marked just the second multi-goal game of Larkin’s budding career.
After the last game against San Jose, Blashill said he pulled Larkin aside to tell him to continue playing the way he’s playing and the points will come. Sure enough, it happened Tuesday night.
“I thought he’s been skating well for a few days, and I talked to him after the last game, just ‘keep playing the way you’re playing and they’ll come’ but as we’ve talked about with other guys this year, it’s way better when it does come,” Blashill said. “Scorers feel better about themselves when they score, so he’s been playing good hockey. I was real happy to see those two go in for him.”
A turnover at the Detroit blue line at 6:43 of the middle frame proved costly, as it gave Jordan Staal a 2-on-0 to work with. He capitalized to put the Canes on the board after roofing one past Mrazek.
Victor Rask pulled Carolina to within one at 13:12, as he unleashed a wrister from the bottom of the right circle. Mrazek got a piece of it, but not enough as it floated in.
Athanasiou potted his second goal of the season and second point of the game late in the period to give the Wings a two-goal lead once again. With the puck tied up in the Carolina corner, Larkin made a smart line change to put Athanasiou on the ice. He then waited in the high slot until Steve Ott and Luke Glendening dug the puck out. Athanasiou corralled the puck, stepped in, waited and fired a wrister top shelf.
“I thought he had a good night tonight, that’s two good games in a row, so obviously a big goal at a big moment,” Blashill said of Athanasiou. “He had moments of good and moments like the rest of them he can get better at, but I thought it was a good game for him.”
Despite a late push from the Canes, including with Ward pulled in favor of the extra attacker, Mrazek and the Wings were able to hold off the attack.
The Wings head to St. Louis to face the Blues Thursday night before returning home for a weekend homestand against Boston and Florida.