As the Detroit Red Wings seek to stake a claim in the wild-card race, taking care of the teams directly in front of them is crucial.

Patrick Kane scored in overtime to lift the Wings past the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, kicking off a four-game stand at Little Caesars Arena with a 3-2 victory.

The Wings (18-18-4) won their fifth straight game and reached 40 points, but the Senators remained a point ahead at 41.

Dylan Larkin extended his goal-scoring streak to four games when he converted on a power play in the first period.

Alex Lyon started the game but left after the first period because of an upper-body injury, ceding the net to Cam Talbot. Simon Edvinsson missed the second half of the second period after a collision on open ice, but returned for the start of the third period.

The Wings needed him: In addition to being a top-four defenseman, Edvinsson set up Joe Veleno’s goal five minutes into the third period. Veleno got his stick on Edvinsson’s rebound and managed to send the puck bar down despite being off balance to make it 2-2.

More: Red Wings-Todd McLellan honeymoon phase is over, now in ‘work’ mode

Taking advantage of handsy penalty

Leave it to Senators captain and top-line winger Brady Tkachuk, as skilled with the puck as he is at agitating, to take an unusual penalty. During a scrum around the seven-minute mark of the first period, Tkachuk’s attempt to aggravate Simon Edvinsson included ripping off Edvinsson’s helmet.

Officials called Tkachuk for roughing – removing opponent’s helmet, putting the Wings on a power play. The top unit moved the puck well and were rewarded with a goal at 8:30, when Larkin snapped Alex DeBrincat’s pass behind Anton Forsberg.

Spirited start

Tkachuk committed another infraction at 11:08 when he high-sticked Albert Johansson in the face, sending the Wings on another power play. J.T. Compher and Vladimir Tarasenko both had chances, and at least the Wings kept momentum on their side.

Compher’s best move of the period came a bit later, during five-on-five play, when he used his stick to steal the puck away from Claude Giroux just as he neared Detroit’s net. Patrick Kane had back-to-back chances in the final minute, and Edvinsson tried a slap shot as the Wings racked up a 14-10 edge in shots in the first 20 minutes.

Tough seconds

The Wings have had some tough second periods of late – their game got away from them Jan. 2 at the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they were outshot, 10-3, in the second period Jan. 4 at the Winnipeg Jets. The Senators likewise pushed back in the second period. Thomas Chabot scored seconds after the Wings killed off a penalty, at 12:25.

The Wings were on another penalty kill when Tkachuk picked up a drop pass from Jake Sanderson and fired a shot through traffic from the top of the left circle that put the Senators ahead by a goal.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.

Next up: Blackhawks

Matchup: Red Wings (17-18-4) vs Chicago (13-25-2).

Faceoff: 7 p.m. Friday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit/NHL Network; WXYT-FM (97.1).

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

With the Detroit Lions on a bye week, fans are reveling in the warm glow of a dominating Lions victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in which they clinched the NFC North championship and the 1-seed.

And when all the game highlights have been watched, some fans appear to be interested in a trip back in time to the 2022 season, when the team was featured on “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Detroit Lions.”

According to Google Trends, search for the Lions’ season on the sports documentary series is up 600%.

But fans are likely walking away disappointed from their search efforts. It appears there is no official channel or streaming service to watch the 2022 season, when the Lions were featured for a 5-episode run from inside their Allen Park practice facility.

How to get Lions King of the North poster

How to watch ‘Hard Knocks’

For more recent seasons of “Hard Knocks,” including training camp with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, you can watch episodes on Max with a subscription. However, the Detroit Lions’ 2022 season is not available. However, clips of the Lions’ season can be found on the NFL’s official YouTube channel.

What happened on ‘Hard Knocks’ with Detroit Lions?

The show offers an unfiltered look at the Detroit Lions’ training camp, roster cuts, and tough decisions.

Some highlights of the 2022 documentary series include when Eminem showed up to practice in the season finale, admiring Jared’s Goff’s passing skills. “That’s almost as good as me,” he joked while watching the quarterback throw.

Then, after a brutal loss in the preseason opener, head coach Dan Campbell encouraged the team to shake it off. Literally. Standing in front of the team with a pair of practice pants covered in chalk dust, Campbell delivered a metaphor for the ages.

“All the stuff that’s been here, that’s kept us from winning, if we really want to go where we want to go, we gotta get all the rest of this f—— s— out of our stuff, man,” Campbell said as he shook out the dust. “This last bit of losing has gotta get out of here.”

And not to be forgotten, defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson had a moment of pure gold on “Hard Knocks” when he sang Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in a meeting room for the rookie talent show.

Where can I watch more Detroit Lions video?

If you’re looking for more insider content, check out “Receiver” on Netflix, which follows the 2023 season of NFL receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.

The Lions finished the 2022 season 9-8, marking their first winning record since 2017.

It’s wild how sports can bring lives together.

How a friendship can come out of nowhere.

And what happens after acts of kindness and compassion — just doing the right thing — whether that is an individual or an organization.

Like, say, the Detroit Lions, who did something amazingly cool over the weekend.

“Honestly, in the most simplistic way, this whole thing was overwhelming but in a good way,” Jeremy Schmidt said Monday morning.

How to get Lions Kings Of The North poster

IN CHICAGO: Lions saw a real hero on sidelines as Detroit fan saved a life during pre-game workouts

Wait a second. Let’s back up.

Because this is a story that has unfolded in the most unlikely way with several twists and turns, with moments of pain and joy.

Schmidt’s father, Wally Schmidt, collapsed at Soldier Field in Chicago on Dec. 22 as the Lions were getting ready to play the Chicago Bears. Ben Roth, an off-duty paramedic and Lions season-ticket holder, rushed to help, restarting Wally’s heart with an AED. That gave Schmidt, also a big Lions fan, four or five extra hours with his father, who passed away that night from heart failure.

So, the Lions wanted to do something for them, something quiet and dignified, just to bring them some joy, trying to make their lives a little better in a time of grief.

The Lions flew Schmidt and two guests and Roth and his wife and daughter to Detroit over the weekend, setting up several special moments. The Lions put them up in a hotel and gave them tickets and field passes for Sunday night’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings — the biggest regular-season game ever played at Ford Field.

“I just felt like I was kind of floating down there for a little bit,” Schmidt said. “It was kind of surreal.”

A friendship is born

After Wally died, Roth decided to stay in Chicago and go to the funeral to pay his respects.

“I was nervous,” Roth said. “I met a bunch of the family while waiting in line. And then (Wally’s) sister gave me a hug, talked about how great her brother was; and then there was Jeremy standing next to the casket.”

Schmidt and Roth met in a tight embrace — the first responder and the son whose father had died.

“He was very strong for his family,” Roth said.

The service was emotional. “You could tell that (Wally) had a lot of people that loved him and he had a great life and would be missed, and they honored him really, really well,” Roth said.

After the service, Schmidt and Roth hung out, started talking and a friendship was born.

“We shared some sorrows and some laughs,” Schmidt said. “At the end, we were the last two to leave the services. We just talked life, just talked about what that whole day really meant to us. Obviously, it was a hard day, but he didn’t suffer. I was just showing Ben that there was genuine gratitude for what he did for me. And just, you know, trying to find the positivity.”

THE FOLLOWUP: How a Lions fan’s life was saved and then lost — and the real message behind it

Credit the Lions for an amazing weekend

The Lions didn’t put out a press release about bringing in Schmidt and Roth. They didn’t make it known publicly.

In my eyes, that makes it even more genuine and special. You gotta give them all kinds of credit for this.

I only found out about it because both Roth and Schmidt texted me.

So, I called Roth on Monday morning, and he was still with Schmidt. They were about to share an Uber ride to the airport.

“Denver is a Bears fan,” Roth said, bringing up one of Schmidt’s close friends, Denver Worker, he brought to the game. “He wore Lions stuff, and he’s like, ‘Man, it’s hard not to cheer for you guys (the Lions). I’m still gonna be a Bears fan. But it’s so hard not to root for the Lions after seeing what this organization is doing for y’all. It’s absolutely amazing.’ ”

They were given field passes before the game and met Calvin Johnson, several members of the front office, the Lions cheerleaders and Roary, the team mascot.

But the big moment was meeting Barry Sanders, the Hall of Fame running back. Both Roth and Schmidt became Lions fans because of Sanders, even though Roth grew up in Texas and Schmidt in Chicago.

“Barry just talked to me like it was just a person he’d known forever,” Roth said. “It was surreal.”

A LESSON FROM 2024: Things we don’t always talk about

After I interviewed Roth, he handed his phone to Schmidt.

“Meeting Barry Sanders was a special moment for both of us,” Roth said. “We’re Lions fans because of that guy.”

The Lions allowed Roth and Schmidt to stay on the field during player introductions and through the kickoff.

“Everybody was so insanely generous and just nice,” Schmidt said. “Everybody went out of their way to make sure that it was a special moment. Just a first-class organization. So amazing.”

Schmidt and Roth’s friendship has only grown.

“My dad placed him in my life for a reason,” Schmidt said. “He’s a great person. His family’s awesome. His daughter has got more personality than anybody I think I’ve ever met. It’s great to continue that bond and make it stronger.”

On Monday, Roth and Schmidt headed to Chicago; and they planned to do an ESPN interview on Tuesday.

“We’re doing the interview with ESPN that’ll air on Sunday NFL Countdown,” Schmidt said. “Just to share the story and also the meaning behind everything. Just trying to inspire people who can relate in any sort of way and find some positivity when things are dark.”

He is still grieving. But he’s trying to find some hope.

“We’re gonna make this just a beautiful story beyond the sadness,” Schmidt said.

And that beautiful story included a win over the Vikings.

“You know, the other special moment was just getting that victory for my dad,” Schmidt said. “We wanna keep the keep this train rolling, because we’re going all the way because of him. His spirit is going to bring the Lions a Super Bowl.”

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.