Larkin Back For Red Wings to Face Islanders

The captain is back for the Detroit Red Wings. Dylan Larkin is in the lineup for Thursday’s huge game against the New York Islanders. He’s at center between Lucas Raymond and David Perron.

The status of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin remained up in the air as the clock was ticking toward tonight’s 7 p.m. puck drop against the New York Islanders at Little Caesars Arena. He’d missed the past seven games with a lower-body injury.

Larkin took part in Thursday’s morning skate. Afterward, Detroit coach Derek Lalonde was noting that Larkin will be put through a battery of tests throughout the day Thursday to determine his status. Clearly, he wound up passing those tests with flying colors.

Larkin was back on the ice this morning. His status for tonight’s game is TBD.#LGRW pic.twitter.com/xuCcAixkUW

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) March 21, 2024

“Dylan is going to be a post morning skate eval,” Lalonde said earlier in the day. “He’s got some testing to do on how he responded to yesterday’s practice and the skate. So we won’t know probably until this afternoon, but the positive is he’s very close.

“I don’t know if it’ll be tonight but he’s getting really close.”

Red Wings Missing Their Captain

Larkin was hurt late in a 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on March 2. That game was Detroit’s second loss in a row. The Red Wings would go on to lose another four in a row without their captain. But they’ve won two of the past three games and currently are clinging to the second Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Detroit is one point ahead of the Washington Capitals and three points clear of the Islanders.

Detroit is again without defenseman Jake Walman (lower-body injury). That means rookie Simon Edvinsson will be playing his second consecutive game on the Red Wings defense.

Lalonde believes that being thrust into a key role during an NHL playoff race is only going to cause a growth spurt in Edvinsson’s development as a player.

Simon Edvinsson, recalled by #LGRW yesterday, is 100% NHL-ready.

The #6 pick in ’21 benefited from spending another year in the AHL, as he made huge strides defensively this season.

Edvinsson was ranked as the 4th best prospect in @TheHockeyNews 2024 Future Watch Issue pic.twitter.com/tLgKWFNPrZ

— Jacob Stoller (@JLStoller) March 20, 2024

“There’s more to it, there’s more intensity to it, there’s more pressure to it,” Lalonde said. “Obviously with Walman out he’s in a top-four role. This is a positive.

“He performed very well the other day. Now we’ll look for some consistency in that performance.”

James Reimer will be making his second straight start in goal. Reimer is 5-1 over his last six decisions. He’s 8-3-2 with a .914 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average in 16 career appearances facing the Islanders.