from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

However, as this team proves time and again, they are not ones to embrace prosperity. The Canucks were going to come charging back. You just knew it.

And of course they did. Especially with the Red Wings being so insistent on holding the door open for them.

Three squandered power plays in a row, including a four-minute man advantage, passed with a red lamp being illuminated. When the Canucks scored on their own power play in the second period to narrow the gap to 2-1, it was easy to sense that Detroit was teetering.

“There were some moments in those power plays that kind of zapped us of some momentum,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was admitting. “And then just the way the second period started. We take a penalty and they score.

“You could feel momentum going. They clearly won the second period when you look at chances for/chances against, any underlying number.”

That’s when the Red Wings were afforded another power play. This time, captain Dylan Larkin was cashing in with his second goal of the day. Detroit would be taking a 3-1 advantage into the final frame.

“Probably the difference in the game,” Lalonde said. “Getting that goal to go into the third up two goals was huge.”

This was their captain doing what he must do. Driving the bus. Leading the charge. Showing the way. Saving the day.

“He’s gotta,” Lalonde said. “He’s our go-to guy for us.

“We’re challenged to create offense. He plays as our No. 1 center. He’s on our power play, he’s on our penalty kill. Tonight his minutes were a little higher than usual. I think he was in that 22-minute range (22:29), which is understandable with all the special teams. But when we treat him like that, he needs to drive us like that.”

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Below watch Larkin, Berggren and Lalonde post game plus the extended game highlights.