Red Wings Notebook: Capitals Coach Laments Detroit Lucky Bounce

They say that in life, timing is everything, and certainly, in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Detroit Red Wings.

Alex DeBrincat’s goal with 53 seconds left in regulation tied the score in a game in which Detroit was trailing 3-1 with 1:41 to play in the third period. His dump-in clipped the photographer’s opening in the plexiglass, changing direction and bounding in behind Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, and we may never see it again,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery lamented to NHL.com. “There’s a camera hole in the glass with a little door that covers it, and the puck hit the hole just as the photographer was trying to close it.

“The league said if the puck had hit the camera, it wouldn’t have counted.”

Cat Joins Four Thirty Club

With his two goals in Thursday’s game, DeBrincat reached the 30-goal plateau for the second consecutive season. He’s just the fourth Red Wings player with consecutive 30-goal campaigns over the past 20 seasons.

Last night, Alex DeBrincat became the fourth different #RedWings player over the last 20 years to record consecutive 30 goal seasons.

➖Dylan Larkin (4 from 2021-22 to 2024-25)
➖Henrik Zetterberg (4 from 2005-06 to 2008-09)
➖Pavel Datsyuk (2 from 2007-08 to 2008-09) pic.twitter.com/yhPWAk2BQK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 30, 2026

DeBrincat joins teammate Dylan Larkin (four in a row from 2021-22 to 2024-25), Henrik Zetterberg (four in a row from 2005-06 to 2008-09), and Pavel Datsyuk (two in a row from 2007-08 to 2008-09).

The Professor Grading Poorly

It’s the first season for Red Wings icon Igor Larionov as coach of traditional KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg, and it’s not going well for The Professor.

SKA has lost four games in a row. They’ve plummeted all the way down to eighth in the Western Conference. That’s the final playoff spot.

Team officials in St. Petersburg opted for the Toronto Maple Leafs solution to their problem. They fired Larionov’s assistant coaches following a 6-0 loss to Torpedo, the team Larionov coached the two seasons before joining SKA.

“This is probably the biggest disappointment of my coaching career,” Larionov told the official KHL website.

Larionov was brought to SKA with the objective of injecting a swashbuckling, attacking style of play. However, critics of the plan say he doesn’t have the personnel on his roster to play such a brand of hockey.

Olympics In Jeopardy for Former Red Wings Prospect

His time in the Red Wings organization was brief, and defenseman Radim Simek’s chance to play in the Olympics may be in jeopardy.

🇨🇿 Czechia has revealed its men’s roster for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games!➡️

Athlete participation requires confirmation by their respective NOC.@czehockey @olympics @nhl @nhlpa#Olympics #NHL #IIHF pic.twitter.com/djYb1IPG2Z

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 6, 2026

Currently the captain of Liberec in the Czech Extraliga, Simek suffered a hand injury in a game on Tuesday and has been out of action since. However, the Czech Olympic braintrust is holding out hope that the injury won’t be serious enough to keep him out of the Winter Games.

Simek played 209 NHL games, all with the San Jose Sharks. During the 2023-24 season, he played nine regular-season and eight playoff games for the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Red Wings Draftee Back In Action

Once a Red Wings draft pick, defenseman Mattias Backman is making a comeback following nearly a one-year absence from pro hockey. On Friday, Backman signed with Vita Hasten of Hockeyettan, Sweden’s third division.

Backman, 33, was the 146th overall selection of the 2011 NHL entry draft by the Red Wings. He played 20 games for the AHL Griffins from 2013-15. He spent last season with Frisk Asker of the Norwegian League.

Backman has been looking for work all season long. Sweden’s transfer window to add new players ends today, so he found a job in the nick of time.