DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are on a roll.
After a disappointing season opener against the Montreal Canadiens, the Wings have bounced back with three consecutive victories.
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In a strong performance last night, the Wings beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, 4-1 at Little Caesars Arena.
Though it’s early in the season, the team appears to be learning from its mistakes and making necessary adjustments.
“I think we’ve been much smarter than we were on the first night,” said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. “We’re still aggressive and we still have speed. It’s still early in the season, but this is a good response, especially against the back-to-back champs.”
The clear star of the past three games is goalie Cam Talbot.
Brad Marchand netted the Panthers’ lone goal with a second-period wraparound, but Talbot’s outstanding performance, including 20 saves on 21 shots, helped secure last night’s victory.
Both teams were missing key players. Aleksander Barkov, captain of the Florida Panthers, tore the ACL and MCL in his knee and is likely to be sidelined for the entire season.
Meanwhile, winger Matthew Tkachuk is out with a lower-body injury and is expected to return in December.
On the Wings’ side, Lucas Raymond is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Fortunately for Detroit, Raymond’s absence did not affect last night’s win.
Mason Appleton, who was acquired over the summer, took Raymond’s place on the first line and stepped up with two goals.
The first of which came off an overturned puck by former Red Wings defenseman, Jeff Petry.
Heading into the third period, the Wings were up 2-1, but unlike in previous seasons, the team stayed aggressive with the lead, with Larkin emphasizing their proactive effort.
“We didn’t just sit back the whole third, we had some chances, we pressed, we skated,” he said.
While the full season lies ahead, the team has started to show its ability to win in various ways.
“Sometimes, the goaltender needs to win you one,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Sometimes, teams win you one. Special teams have won us one the last couple nights, we’ve ended up on the positive side, so we should be confident but far from arrogant.”