Red Wings-Panthers Tweetcap: Florida embarrasses Detroit in game 82

The Detroit Red Wings concluded their 2025-2026 campaign by playing against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night. Two teams without any playoff hopes = a game that can either be incredibly boring if the teams just “go through the motions,” and, if we’re lucky, a game in which players play for both pride and for jobs on next season’s team as they go out with a bang.

On Wednesday Night at Amerant Bank Arena, the Red Wings were roundly embarrassed, losing 8-1 to Florida’s “B Team.” Justin Faulk scored Detroit’s only goal, John Gibson was pulled due to taking a shot to the face, and neither he nor Cam Talbot were very good–but Detroit was -30, with Mo Seider of all people finishing at -4.

The Red Wings were totally out of gas mentally and out of gas physically, but there is still no excuse for the Red Wings’ struggles to even show up for the final game of the season.

PREGAME: John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov led their respective teams out onto the ice (and again, there’s no walk-out video from the Wings)…

The Panthers only post their starters, so here is how an incredibly depleted lineup shook out…

And the Red Wings both held captain Dylan Larkin out of the game due to injury concerns, and went with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen (probably in order to give Travis Hamonic one last game in the NHL):

1ST PERIOD:

The teams dressed the following starters and lineups–and Ken Daniels reported that both James van Riemsdyk’s family and Travis Hamonic’s family attended the game…

GOAL: Off a simple play from Wilmer Skoog to Vinnie Hinostroza along the side boards, Hinostroza let a one-timer go and the screened shot eluded John Gibson at 4:57 of the 1st period.

Florida 1, Detroit 0: Hinostroza (6) from Skoog (1) at 4:57 1st.

FYI:

PENALTY: Cole Reinhardt held up Moritz Seider at 14:11 of the 1st period, and Reinhardt sat for 2:00 for hooking.

2ND PERIOD:

GOAL: Off a bad turnover by Simon Edvinsson and Moritz Seider, pinching defenseman Marek Alscher fed Matthew Tkachuk at the left side of the Wings’ net, he dropped the puck to Luke Kunin in the slot, and Kunin was unattended, so he one-timed a shot from his knee off Gibson’s blocker and shoulder and into the net at 5:37.

Florida 2, Detroit 0: Kunin (3) from Tkachuk (20) and Alscher (2) at 5:37 2nd.

PENALTY: J.T. Compher tripped Alscher chasing after a puck behind the Panthers’ net, and Compher sat at 8:33 of the 2nd period.

GOAL: It took 23 seconds for the Panthers to work the puck up ice and A.J. Greer took the rebound of a teammate’s shot and wrapped it around the goal before Hamonic or Edvinsson could catch up with the Panthers’ forward, yielding a 3-0 power play goal for Florida.

Florida 3, Detroit 0: Greer (17) from Gregor (5) and Jansson (1) at 8:56 of the 2nd period.

GOAL: Worse, Florida got a weird bounce to make it 4-0 as Mike Benning took the rebound of a slapper by Wilmer Skoog that went off the back boards and down behind John Gibson before Gibson could even see the puck, it rolled behind Gibson’s skate, and Benning jammed the puck home at 9:39.

Florida 4, Detroit 0: Benning (1) from Skoog (2) and Hinostroza (13) at 9:39 2nd period.

INJURY: John Gibson took a Wilmer Skoog shot in the face, and while Gibson wanted to stay in the game, he was forced to exit at 11:54 of the 2nd period to take a concussion test, yielding Cam Talbot in the net in relief.

GOAL: And off a bad change on defense, and J.T. Compher and Ben Chiarot getting tied up in front of the net, David Perron missed his check, so Donovan Sebrango laterally passed the puck to Mike Benning at 12:41 to make it 5-0.

Florida 5, Detroit 0: Benning (2) from Sebrango (8) and Samoskevich (20) at 12:41 2nd period.

GOAL: Ben Chiarot chipped the puck deep, Alex DeBrincat raced up the left wing, and he laterally passed the puck to Alex DeBrincat, who dropped the puck slightly to Justin Faulk. Faulk blasted a shot through Tarasov at 16:12 to make it 5-1.

Florida 5, Detroit 1: Faulk (16) from DeBrincat (44) and Chiarot (10) at 16:12.

3RD PERIOD:

PENALTY: At 1:19 of the 3rd period, David Perron was tripped behind the Panthers’ net by Matthew Tkachuk.

GOAL: Off another “weird bounce,” Mikulas Horvaka passed the puck to Marek Alscher, Alscher took a shot and it went off Justin Faulk and to Cole Schwindt, who tapped the puck into an open net.

Florida 6, Detroit 1: Schwindt (5) from Alscher (3) and Hovorka (1) at 8:56 3rd period.

GOAL: Worse, Florida’s Cole Reinhardt was able to “fly by” the Wings’ net with nobody in front of the goal but J.T. Compher, and he jammed home a rebound to make it 7-1.

Florida 7, Detroit 1: Reinhardt (9) from Kunin (6) and Tkachuk (21) at 9:37 3rd.

PENALTY: Vinnie Hinostroza took a slashing penalty at 11:45.

GOAL: Off a bad set of plays down low, Luke Kunin got another one-timer off the post and in to make it 8-1 at 18:12 of the 3rd period.

Florida 8, Detroit 1: Kunin (4) from Reinhardt (6) at 18:12.

STATISTICS: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!