RECAP: Seider, Larkin power Red Wings to big 6-3 victory over Flyers

DETROIT -- Exploding on the offensive side of the puck to stay within striking distance of the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot, the Detroit Red Wings rolled to a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

“A great effort by everyone,” said Moritz Seider, who finished with an NHL career-high five points (one goal, four assists). “Obviously, that makes it a little bit easier on yourself. Everyone stepped up big tonight today, especially the penalty killers. That was huge. It kind of switched the whole game around, and that’s only one of four. I think that should be the message in our locker room right now. We need six more points, then we’ll see where we land.”

Multi-point efforts from captain Dylan Larkin (three goals, one assist), Patrick Kane (one goal, two assists) and Lucas Raymond (two assists) also helped the Red Wings (41-29-9; 91 points) break a three-game winless skid. As for the Flyers (40-27-12; 92 points), they saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

“They all had real good games, and for us to have success, they need to be doing that,” head coach Todd McLellan said of Detroit’s big names leading the way. “Now, Mo can’t have five points every night. Larks can’t have a hat trick. Cat got to 40. Like, we had good contributions from them tonight and they don’t always have to be milestone nights, but they were a huge factor in the outcome of this game.”

Alex DeBrincat needed just 2:28 into the first period to score his 40th goal of the season, becoming the first Red Wings player to hit the plateau since Marian Hossa in 2008-09. He was at the goalmouth when he accepted Raymond’s no-look feed from the left face-off circle, and the Farmington Hills, Mich., native quickly roofed a backhand shot over goalie Dan Vladar’s right shoulder make it 1-0. Seider had the secondary assist by setting up the play at the blue line.

“That was a hell of a goal,” McLellan said. “For [DeBrincat] to pull and pause and then go straight up-- that’s a goal scorer’s goal.”

Less than 11 minutes later, the Flyers found the scoresheet when rookie Porter Martone’s shot from the point tipped off the stick of Christian Dvorak in front of the crease to tie it 1-1 at 13:24 of the opening frame.

In a second period dominated by special teams, it was Seider who struck first.

Just 32 seconds in, the German defenseman blasted a one-timer past Dan Vladar for a 4-on-3 power play goal to send Detroit back in front 2-1. Seider’s 10th goal of the season was set up by Kane and Larkin, but it came to be because Owen Tippett had collided with goalie John Gibson only 15 seconds prior.

“I don’t know if it was cramping, stiffness or whatever it was, but seems to be doing okay now,” McLellan said of Gibson, who was later replaced by goaltender Cam Talbot (10 saves) midway through the second. “We’ll obviously monitor him and know a bit more tomorrow.”

Larkin’s 5-on-4 power-play goal at 1:50 made it 3-1, then the 29-year-old captain netted a short-handed tally on a breakaway to extend it to 4-1 at 4:56. Kane and Seider were credited with the assists on Larkin's 32nd of the season, while Albert Johansson had the lone helper on his 33rd.

"Everybody wants to make the playoffs, and he's a big part of us trying to get there," McLellan said of Larkin. "When he's pushing through some of what he's going through right now, and you can't score, there's other ways that you can help the team. We've been trying to angle towards that a little bit, and tonight he broke out offensively, which was a good thing."

Martone’s power-play strike cut Philadelphia's deficit to 4-2 at 9:25, but Detroit didn't allow the visitors to claw back any closer than that. 

At 7:01 of the third period, Kane capped off a tic-tac-toe passing play with Simon Edvinsson and Seider with a snap shot he fired past goalie Samuel Ersson for his 16th goal of the season to make it 5-2. Ersson had entered in relief of netminder Daniel Vladar following Larkin’s second goal earlier in the game.

Recording his third career NHL hat trick at 11:39, Larkin made it 6-2 with his 34th goal of the campaign. Seider and Raymond were credited with the assists.

Luke Glendening got one back late for the Flyers at 18:09 for the 6-3 final. 

“I don’t think our locker room, our team, is going anywhere with one, two guys,” Larkin said. “It takes all of us. That’s our sport, that’s what it took tonight and that’s what it’s going to take the next three.”

NEXT UP: The Red Wings will host the New Jersey Devils for People of Hockeytown Night  at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday.

WHAT WAS SAID

McLellan on what Thursday’s victory could do for the group

“I’d like to think it could do a lot for us. We haven’t had an offensive outburst like that in a long, long time. So, maybe some guys are a little looser now and we can score some goals, I don’t know. But, I don’t think it can hurt at all. I’m going with the positive, trying to bundle that game up and let’s play it again against Jersey on the weekend.”

Seider on Larkin’s hat trick

“He’s our leader. We believe in him. We don’t really care what [the media] says about us outside this locker room. So, we always trust him. He’s an important player, and he definitely put the team on his back tonight. We need that three more times.”

Larkin on the power play going 3-for-4

“We just stuck to it. I think playing these guys a lot in the last little bit has helped, winning face-offs and attacking right away. Cat made a heck of a play on the first one and got us going.”