How does the saying go? You can take the captain out of the gold medal game, but you can’t take the gold out of the captain?
Well, something like that.
The  Detroit Red Wings opened the second half of the NHL season in Ottawa as captain Dylan Larkin scored his second goal of the game at 1:50 of overtime, giving the Wings a 2-1 win on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
Advertisement
Larkin, an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA on Sunday, started the winning rush Thursday with a pass to Lucas Raymond at center ice. Larkin then got behind Ottawa’s Shane Pinto, took the return pass, deked and slid a backhand shot between the pads of Linus Ullmark for his 28th goal of the season.
Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin (71) celebrates after scoring in overtime against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Can Dylan Larkin’s golden games lead Detroit Red Wings to playoffs
John Gibson made 26 saves for the Red Wings, who had lost four of five before the break. Raymond, an Olympian with Sweden, had two assists.
Fellow U.S. gold medalist Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who had won five of six before the break. Ullmark made 18 saves.
Advertisement
The Red Wings (34-19-6) have won the first three meetings of the season series, including two in overtime. The win jumped the Wings into second place in the Atlantic Division, a point ahead of the Montreal Canadiens (who lost in overtime on Thursday and still have a game in hand on the Wings) but six points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have two games in hand on the Wings.
1 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) and defenseman Albert Johansson (20) defend against Ottawa Senators right wing Claude Giroux (28) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
1 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) and defenseman Albert Johansson (20) defend against Ottawa Senators right wing Claude Giroux (28) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
2 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) and Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) vie for the puck during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
3 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) awaits the face off during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
4 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) and Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18) react to a shot taken on goaltender John Gibson (36) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
5 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot (8) hits Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) as he attempts to make a pass during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
6 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker (25) reaches to block an attempt on net by Ottawa Senators center Dylan Cozens (24) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
7 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) and goaltender John Gibson (36) react to a goal by Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (not pictured) during the first period at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
8 / 8
Detroit Red Wings return after Olympic break vs Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates after scoring during the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
CAPTAIN’S LOG: Dylan Larkin plays big role as USA ‘exorcises the demons’ vs Canada
Next up for the Red Wings
The Wings have just two more games remaining in their semi-epic road swing; in all, the Wings will spend just five games away from Little Caesars Arena, but that will cover a span of 31 days (and all of February), with two games before the Olympic break, the time for Larkin, Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider in Milan, and then three more visits around the league. The Wings are on to Carolina for a matchup with the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes on Saturday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network). That’s followed by a Monday matinee (2 p.m.) against the Predators in Nashville before the Wings finally return home to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday.
Advertisement
An early veto by the refs
The Wings appeared to take an early lead off a goal by Michael Rasmussen, who had not scored since the last time the Wings and Senators played, on Jan. 5 (also in Ottawa). But the goal was waved off on an offsides challenge, with big Elmer Söderblom inching into the offensive zone seconds before the puck controlled by Rasmussen did.
Tkachuk then gave the Senators a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 18:44 into the first period. Jake Sanderson’s point shot deflected off the skate of Rasmussen to Tkachuk, who scored on a wrist shot from the high slot.
Larkin answered with a power-play goal at 5:24 of the second period. Raymond skated along the goal line and slid a back-hand pass to Larkin, who one-timed it past Ullmark from the bottom of the left circle.
Advertisement
Gibson maintained the tie early in the third period when a shot by Pinto got behind him but he knocked the puck away with his left skate before it crossed the goal line.
Pinto had a good opportunity on the rush in the final seconds of regulation but Gibson made a blocker save.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dylan Larkin still golden as Detroit Red Wings veto Senators in OT