Detroit, MI

Poised Detroit Red Wings stay in playoff race, but at some point will need outside help

Published

9 months ago

April 14, 2024

Press Room

Poised Detroit Red Wings stay in playoff race, but at some point will need outside help

TORONTO — It felt, Dylan Larkin said, like he was breathing through his eyes.

There was 2:45 to play in regulation, the game was tied, and the Detroit Red Wings needed at least a point to keep their playoff chase alive. A penalty to Patrick Kane meant dealing with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ power play, and Auston Matthews chasing his 70th goal.

Larkin didn’t want to miss a second of trying to deny Matthews, of denying the Leafs, of stoking his own team’s hopes.

“I think I was on the ice for most of the penalty kill there at the end,” he said, “so I was breathing through my eyes and just trying to gut it out.”

QUICK AS A CAT: Wings added Alex DeBrincat to push into playoffs. Now’s the time to step up

Gut it out: It’s what the Wings did as a group to emerge from Scotiabank Arena on Saturday with a 5-4 victory in overtime — sealed by Larkin — that kept them in the chase for a playoff spot as they head into Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Wings’ finale comes Tuesday at Montreal, and at some point they will need help from outside, but for them to get two points on the road — that was worth enjoying, as hard as the task to advance remains.

“We know what’s at stake,” Larkin said. “We kept saying, we need the two points. To get to this point, I’m not happy we’re in this position, fighting for our lives, but in Pittsburgh and at home against Washington, we’ve been fighting for our lives here. The sacrifice, the attitude of the guys has been unbelievable. We got rewarded for all the hard work we’ve done the last stretch here where we haven’t been getting rewarded.”

The Wings reached 87 points with the victory, but remained on the outside of the playoff picture because the Washington Capitals also won to reach 87 points, and hold the tiebreaker with 30 regulation wins to Detroit’s 27. The Wings need the Capitals to come up short in one of their last two games to advance.

That isn’t something the Wings can control, but they have controlled their emotions and not let themselves get rattled, from game to game, period to period. They were up 4-1 after the first period Saturday and it was 4-4 after the second.

“You’re just kind of in the moment and this group has done it all year long,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “I love their mentality. They stay poised in a lot of situations. As great as we were at the end of the third, to get that kill, and to get a power play in overtime, I loved our approach in the third. It was a very emotional rollercoaster: We get the 4-1 lead, and then our second period – we just stressed about staying on task in the third. I thought our third period was excellent and we got what we deserved: Two full points.

“This group, I get it, we’re not perfect like anyone else battling for this last playoff spot. The self-evaluation in the offseason, there’ll be a lot to look at. It’s been a unique up-and-down season. But it would be really hard, really hard, to knock this team’s compete and mental toughness. That’s pretty impressive.”

Larkin led the way, and fittingly, put the game away in overtime when he saw Patrick Kane had the puck on his stick and knew to go to the net. The overtime goal was ninth of Larkin’s career, tying him with Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan for second most in franchise history, behind Sergei Fedorov’s 12.

“It was one of the biggest of my career and I’m hoping this year to have some more big goals,” Larkin said. “You can’t feel any better. I knew Kaner was going to look for that play and I knew I just had to have my stick on the ice and he was going to hit it. I didn’t even see it go in, but I saw Kaner, how excited he was, see all the boys rush over. What a feeling.”

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

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.

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Detroit, MI

Toledo vs Pitt bowl game in Detroit today: GameAbove Time, TV, channel, streaming info

Published

6 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Toledo vs Pitt bowl game in Detroit today: GameAbove Time, TV, channel, streaming info

College football’s annual bowl game visit to Detroit has a new name. This year, the Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) meet the Toledo Rockets (7-5) in the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field, home to the Detroit Lions.

The Panthers lost five in a row in the ACC to close the regular season after beginning 7-0.

The Rockets were a MAC contender before losing their final two games of the regular season.

The GameAbove Bowl takes the name from what used to be the Quick Lane Bowl, won last year by Minnesota, 30-24, over Bowling Green.

Here’s the game info on Pitt vs. Toledo in the bowl game in Detroit:

Pittsburgh vs Toledo GameAbove Sports Bowl TV channel, start time

TV channel: ESPN.
Date: Thursday, Dec 26.
Start time: 2 p.m. ET.
Where: Ford Field, Detroit.
Streaming: ESPN+ or Fubo (free trial).

What are the bowl games today?

There are three bowl games today, Thursday, Dec. 26.

Pitt vs Toledo (GameAbove Sports Bowl): 2 p.m., ESPN
Rutgers vs Kansas State (Rate Sports Bowl): 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Arkansas State vs Bowling Green (68 Ventures Bowl): 9 p.m., ESPN

Watch today’s bowl games on Fubo (free trial)

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Detroit, MI

Next Weather Forecast 12-25-24

Published

15 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Next Weather Forecast 12-25-24 – CBS Detroit

Watch CBS News

Warmer air builds through the weekend ahead.

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Detroit, MI

Why Ben Johnson Coaching Chicago Bears Could Be Disaster

Published

1 day ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Why Ben Johnson Coaching Chicago Bears Could Be Disaster

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s name is being floated around as a top candidate for a head coaching vacancy within the NFC North.

Johnson is reportedly intrigued by the Chicago Bears’ head coaching job, which opened after the Bears fired Matt Eberflus on the day after Thanksgiving. Some analysts viewed the Lions’ 34-17 win over the Bears on Sunday, which featured one of the most unique trick plays of the season, as an audition from Johnson for the vacancy.

It’s worth noting that Johnson turned down interest from teams across the league to remain with the Lions after last season, and could be in position to do so again depending on how the team’s season finishes.

The Bears job is one of several expected to be open, but it’s the one that Johnson has been associated closest to at this point. With the success that Johnson’s offenses have had over his three years as coordinator, and the proximity that the Bears have to Detroit as members of the NFC North, it is a natural pairing.

However, there’s more elements to a potential pairing that could be cause for concern. For starters, the Bears have struggled mightily as of late. They haven’t finished with a winning record since their 12-4 season in 2018, and have made just one other playoff appearance (2020) in that time span.

There has been disfunction throughout the organization this season, as they’ve lost nine games in a row dating back to a Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 8.

Additionally, there’s concern about the longevity of general manager Ryan Poles, and the team’s ownership, the McCaskey family, has drawn criticism from the fan base for its decision-making.

Because the Bears have struggled, and looked hapless at points, Johnson likely wouldn’t be easily enticed to inherit this situation.

MORE: Ben Johnson Expected to Interview With Bears, ‘Intrigued’ by Job

However, the Bears also do have some elements working for them. Most notably, Johnson would get the opportunity to work with 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. The USC product has shown some promise throughout a rookie season that has lacked significant wins, but one filled with promise.

Johnson had high praise for Williams when asked about him by Lions OnSI leading up to the Week 16 game. He has thrown for 3,271 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of his first NFL campaign.

It’s easy to see why the Bears would be interested in Johnson. He’s the creative architect of one of the league’s best offenses and has played a vital role in Jared Goff’s career revival over the last several seasons.

What the 38-year-old coach has done with Goff has been well-documented. If he were to strike up a relationship of this nature with Williams, he could make the young passer into one of the league’s best talents at the position.

Williams has good weapons around him that could allow him to succeed in the right scheme. Chicago could also have another high draft pick depending on where they finish, which will allow whomever takes over as coach to add another highly touted piece to the roster.

Additionally, it’s expected that the Bears will break ground on a new stadium next year with hopes of finishing construction in 2028.

Ultimately, it’s been reported that Johnson won’t interview for jobs simply to say he did it. Rather, he is expected to be selective and interview for positions that he would want to take. If he does take a meeting with Chicago, which he is reportedly expected to do, it would be a sign that he would want the job.

Johnson’s focus in the current future remains on bringing a Super Bowl to Detroit this season. If he were to do that, it would make the potential pill of him taking over in Chicago much easier to swallow. However, the Bears’ interest will make the offseason very intriguing as Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both navigate their futures.

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