Author: George Malik

Scott Burnside posted an article for NHLPA.com in which he surveyed Four Nations Face-Off participants regarding their impressions of their experiences at the tournament, and you won’t be surprised to find that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin praised the event:

“I knew it was going to be intense, but it definitely has exceeded my expectations. I think for everyone it has,” said American forward Dylan Larkin. “It’s just been from start to finish, from practice, to hanging out with the guys, to the games, it’s just been so much fun being around the rink and so much excitement for our sport, I just think it’s been a home run for the league and for hockey in general.”

No longer will fans and players have to wonder when they will get another chance.

For the U.S., whose motto throughout 4 Nations had been “This is our time”, they won’t have to ruminate too long over the stinging championship loss. Indeed, players are already counting down the days to Italy.

Continued; here’s hoping that we see another Four Nations Face-Off in a couple of years, and in the interim…

I hope that Larkin can bring some of that excitement back with him to the team he captains on a daily basis.

I’m not a fancy fashionable person. At 47, I buy most of my t-shirts from Teefury, and I actually don’t own many Red Wings items these days. But you might want to know about this press release from the Red Wings about their partnership with two local fashion brands during Saturday and Sunday’s games against the Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks, respectively.

This is basically free advertising, but what the hell, it’s for local companies.

Red Wings Collaborate with SANA Detroit and Kiloh + Co. in Return of Local Designer Series

Following a successful partnership with SANA Detroit and Kiloh + Co. during the 2023-24 season, the Detroit Red Wings are excited to work with both local companies again in the return of the Red Wings’ local designer series. The collaborations include a special ticket package and exclusive merchandise line for fans

When the Red Wings host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, Feb. 23, fans can purchase a special SANA ticket package which will include a game ticket, a limited-edition SANA/Red Wings T-shirt and early access to Little Caesars Arena for the exclusive SANA pop-up that night.

Following the 3:30 p.m. early access window for SANA ticket package purchasers, all fans who enter the arena that night will have access to the pop-up once doors open to the public at 4:30 p.m. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m.

Lucas Raymond returned to the Red Wings’ ranks on Friday morning at Little Caesars Arena, and he reflected upon his Four Nations Face-Off experience while speaking with the Free Press’s Helene St. James…

“It was a lot of fun with a lot of great players,” Raymond said. “I think it exceeded everyone’s expectations — fans and us players. The intensity, the high pace of hockey that was played — that was a lot of fun to play in. The first game against Canada is probably one of the coolest games I’ve played in, if not the coolest, with everything going on and then all the skill on the ice.”

Raymond tied (with Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson) for a team-leading three points in three games.

“His game that we see here on a regular basis transferred to that type of environment, and any time that happens, that’s a good thing,” McLellan said. “Sometimes players go and try and do too much, or they’re afraid of the stage and they don’t want to make mistakes and they shrivel up. That wasn’t him at all. He skated, he shot the puck, he competed hard — all the things he would normally do here.”

The Wings (28-22-5) have 27 games left to shore up a playoff spot — they’re in the East’s second wild-card spot, a point behind the Ottawa Senators and five points out of third place in the Atlantic Division — and having just experienced such a high level of play, Raymond is eager for more.

“It was an unreal experience, but at the same time, it’s really nice to be back and just being with the guys again,” Raymond said. “Getting to put on the winged wheel, it’s nice to be back. I think I’m even more excited for what is to come now.”

St. James also posted a short video of Raymond speaking with the media…

The Red Wings concluded their mini camp on Friday at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center, ahead of a 3-games-in-4-nights stretch which begins with a Saturday matinee against the Minnesota Wild (12:30 PM EST start on ABC/97.1 FM).

Lucas Raymond rejoined the team after competing for Sweden at the Four Nations Face-Off, but coach Todd McLellan very purposefully gave Dylan Larkin the day off after #71 participated in the Four Nations Final on Thursday night.

After practice, McLellan told MLive’s Ansar Khan that Larkin will play against Minnesota on Saturday…

#RedWings McLellan confirmed Larkin will be in the lineup tomorrow and Sunday. “He’ll be playing five games in seven days so we’ll have to find some rest for him sometime.”

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) February 21, 2025

And Lucas Raymond was the player who held a media scrum after practice:

From the Detroit Red Wings:

Gus Bus! 🚌@fairwaypacking | #LGRW pic.twitter.com/QsFBUZO08T

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 21, 2025

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, Arpon Basu, Fluto Shinzawa and Michael Russo offered observations on each of the Four Nations Face-Off teams with the 2026 Olympics just a year away, and here’s what they had to say about Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy:

Larkin, Boldy solidify their spots

Dylan Larkin and Matt Boldy scored the winning goals against Finland and Canada (the first game), respectively, and were as consistent as they come in the tournament.

Boldy got better and better as the tournament went — and got to the dirty areas, which has been the biggest criticism of him in the playoffs for the Minnesota Wild. The World Juniors gold medalist from 2021 was a threat in each game. It was vindication after some criticized U.S. general manager Bill Guerin for putting him on the team, saying it was favoritism for a player Guerin also manages as Wild GM.

Larkin, meanwhile, could be in line for an elevated role in the Olympics.

The Red Wings captain started as a fourth-line winger, accepted that role and ended up as third-line center between J.T. Miller and Boldy. When Matthew Tkachuk left the final, Larkin showed how handy he is by popping up to the top six.

He’ll just keep getting more responsibility because he’s so fast and versatile.

Continued (paywall); it turns out that Larkin is more than just a star player–he’s also a Swiss Army Knife, endlessly adaptable.

The Detroit Red Wings took to the ice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center this morning.

Today is the last day of the Red Wings’ “mini camp,” which the team hopes will prepare them for the stretch run schedule.

Said schedule begins with a tough 3-games-in-4-nights stretch against Minnesota on Saturday, Anaheim on Sunday, and at Minnesota on Tuesday. The Red Wings then host the Columbus Blue Jackets next Thursday, and play in the Stadium Series game a week from Saturday.

Not surprisingly, Lucas Raymond rejoined his Red Wings teammates, but Dylan Larkin sat out practice, as coach Todd McLellan indicated on Thursday:

Lucas Raymond back in the mix for the last day of the Red Wings’ mini training camp pic.twitter.com/2gPWqNuU7s

— Sam Stockton (@_samstockton) February 21, 2025

Fourth and final day of #RedWings mini-camp before returning to action tomorrow at home against Minnesota (12:30, ABC). Raymond has joined the team after a few days off following his 4 Nations stint with Sweden. pic.twitter.com/RBF6CicEZ0

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) February 21, 2025

Lucas Raymond back in the Red Wings fold after a few days to decompress from 4 Nations. pic.twitter.com/aKEPEDVMdb

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) February 21, 2025

The latest episode of the Flying Octopus podcast is out this morning…

And the Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak discusses the keys to the Red Wings’ playoff push this morning…

Red Wings’ Focus Areas 

Part of a strong finish is addressing organizational weaknesses. And for the Red Wings, there are three that stand out: 

1. Five-on-five offense
2. Penalty kill
3. Defensive depth

You can make the case that others should be included here, but, in my opinion, these are the three main deficiencies at the moment. 

Despite a general resurgence under McLellan, Detroit’s five-on-five offense is still a work in progress. At even-strength, their 2.14 goals-for per 60 (GF/60), 24.46 scoring chances-for per 60 (SCF/60), and 10.18 high-danger chances-for per 60 (HDCF/60) since the coaching change all sit in the bottom-half of the league. 

Likewise, their penalty kill has been better, but not by much. Detroit’s 71.8 kill percentage under McLellan ranks 26th in the NHL. That said, if you only focus on the last 10 games, their 80 percent kill rate is respectable. Still, you can’t assume that the issue is resolved completely.

And finally, the Red Wings don’t have much depth beyond their top two defensive pairs. Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl have been fine on the third pairing. But beyond them, there’s only William Lagesson, at least until Jeff Petry returns in April. An injury to the top four could be devastating.

It’s absolutely critical that the Red Wings address these three problem areas down the stretch. Doing so will make the race to 92 points that much easier.

Wolak continues…

And the Hockey Writers’ Devin Little shared his impressions of the Four Nations Face-Off:

NHL.com’s Jon Lane looks ahead to the resumption of the NHL’s 2024-2025 schedule, which begins on Saturday with the Red Wings’ home game against the Minnesota Wild:

Minnesota Wild at Detroit Red Wings (12:30 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+)

The Red Wings (28-22-5) hold the second wild card in the East, one point behind the Ottawa Senators and one ahead of the Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. They won seven in a row before losing 6-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 8, are 15-5-1 since coach Todd McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26 and will face the Blue Jackets in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on March 1. The Wild (33-19-4) are third in the Central Division after not qualifying for the playoffs last season. Goalie Filip Gustavsson returns from the 4 Nations, where he made two starts for Sweden. His 37 saves in a 2-1 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 6 was his 63rd with Minnesota, passing Dwayne Roloson (62) for fourth in Wild history.

Continued; the Red Wings then host the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, and head to Minnesota on Tuesday to wrap up their home-and-home series.

After that, next Thursday, the Wings host the Blue Jackets, and the Stadium Series beckons on Saturday, March 1st.

That’s 5 games in 8 days, and after a 2-day break, the Wings will play 3 games in 4 nights. The stretch run isn’t just brutal in terms of quality of competition; it’s also very condensed over the course of the last 27 games.

Team USA lost the Four Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night, dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to Team Canada, but The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was among several American players who chose to look forward to the next big match-up between the U.S. and Canada:

The players Bill Guerin assembled to don Team USA sweaters for the grand success that was the 4 Nations Face-Off were only together for 12 days, but they bonded and invested much into trying to win a tournament that will never happen again. And even though they fell to the archrival Canadians, 3-2 in overtime, they cannot wait to regather in less than a year in Milan, Italy, for the 2026 Olympics.

“There is something to look forward to with this group, which is great,” said Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who was great in all four games for the Americans. “That’s the big one. And I know that it’s a little bit of a different tournament, different rules, but we really feel like we can play any kind of game on any kind of surface and anywhere against anyone.

“Billy built the team that can do that, and we’re confident about that. Would have loved to have this thing keep going and play some more hockey against those guys.”

Larkin also told Russo that the Americans experienced tremendous cohesion on and off the ice, starting with a team-building dinner in Montreal last Monday night:

“This has been a first-class experience, and something that I’ll always remember,” Larkin said. “I’ll always be proud that I was just a part of it, and that I can say right now that I gave it my all for this team and the guys in this room. That dinner we had in Montreal, when Bill brought back the legends from the ’80 team and Mike Modano and (Gaudreau’s dad, Guy), like, that was the coolest night of all of this. And then we just continued to make great memories. It was a tremendous group to be around.”

Larkin and the rest of the Americans can’t wait to put on that dark blue USA Hockey sweater again at the 2026 Olympics for their next chance to slay the dragon that always seems to get the best of them: Canada.

Update: For what it’s worth, Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler gave Larkin a strong grade for his Four Nations Final performance:

Dylan Larkin: 8/10
Larkin’s ascension from the fourth line to the first is now complete, with the Red Wings captain capping what’s been a really solid tournament with one of his best efforts. While he was held off the scoresheet Thursday night, his speed up and down the wing to generate scoring chances — and a close call in the first, that almost saw him tie things up after breaking free and picking up his own rebound — helped the U.S. match Canada’s pace, and his penalty kill prowess came up clutch, too.