Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin shared his thoughts about the team's impressive resurgence following the firing of coach Derek Lalonde last month.
Todd McLellan replaced Lalonde as the new coach, and following his hiring, the Red Wings have turned the tides. They won seven straight games, including a commanding 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday.
The win over the Kraken pushed the Red Wings to two games above .500 for the first time this season. Notably, the win also marked the franchise's first seven-game winning streak since former coach Mike Babcock's tenure.
Dylan Larkin emphasized the positive changes brought by the new coaching staff, particularly highlighting the increased intensity during practices. He said (7:46):
"Well, it's definitely a good thing to win hockey games. And I think Todd has come in, and we've worked on a lot. And I think it's probably starts with practice, with his intensity and how we practice, we're up and down, we're moving, there's a lot of pace, there's a lot of teaching moments.
"And then we've been tested in games. And tonight was another challenge where after Chicago coming in, we played well."
Larkin expressed confidence in the team's ability to learn from each game, noting that their responses to challenges have been encouraging and have contributed significantly to their current winning streak.
With an impressive seven-game streak, the Detroit Red Wings improved their record to 20-18-4 and moved to sixth in the Atlantic Division with 44 points. The Red Wings host the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena next on Tuesday.
How the Detroit Red Wings downed the Seattle Kraken
On Sunday, the Red Wings hosted the Seattle Kraken at the Little Caesars Arena. They edged past the Kraken with a 6-2 win to extend their winning streak to seven games.
The Detroit Red Wings scored four goals in the first period, with Marco Kasper. J.T. Compher, Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane gave the home team a 4-0 lead. Coming into the second period, the home team continued their dominance.
At 4:17, Erik Gustafsson scored on the power play to increase the lead to 5-0. With less than five minutes remaining in the period, Dylan Larkin made it 6-0 with a power play goal. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Matty Beniers were the scorers for the Kraken.