DETROIT – Many of the Detroit Red Wings’ core players haven’t experienced a lot of intense, pressure-packed games simply because the team hasn’t reached the playoffs in 10 years.
It’s another reason the Olympics were good for Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider and continue to benefit Dylan Larkin.
Larkin and Raymond felt the intensity of a best-on-best tournament last year at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Olympics takes it to another level.
“Razor and Larks, the intensity that they played with and in those games, it was really good for them to experience it,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “All three of them have played to their capabilities and played the roles that they’ve been given really well.”
Seider, like he has been for five seasons in Detroit, was a workhorse for Germany, which lost to Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
Larkin then scored the lone regulation goal for the United States while Raymond made a brilliant pass to set-up Sweden’s game-tying goal in the final two minutes by Mika Zibanejad. Quinn Hughes scored in overtime to lift the U.S. 2-1, setting up Friday’s semifinal matchup with Slovakia (3:10 p.m., NBC, Peacock).
“We all know how good of a player Razor is, produces at a really good clip, and he did so over there,” Patrick Kane said. “And it seems like since I’ve been watching, Larks has been one of the best players on the U.S. Not too surprising to see, but they’re representing the Red Wings.”
Raymond finished with nine points (goal, eight assists), tied for second in scoring behind Connor McDavid of Canada (11 points), which meets Finland in the other semifinal.
“At the 4 Nations, he was good, but he really excelled at the Olympics and the world is watching,” McLellan said. “But as (his profile) grows worldwide, it becomes responsibility. And you mentioned the playoffs, driving a team as deep as possible, that falls on all our shoulders. But Lucas will be a primary figure when it comes to that.”
Said James van Riemsdyk: “I wouldn’t say he’s underrated, but I think people are starting to see more and more how good of a player he is and doing it on that stage is an impressive thing.”
Kane and van Riemsdyk played with Larkin on World Championship teams and were aware of his compete level before they joined the Red Wings.
“You could see how badly he wanted to win playing for the U.S.,” Kane said. “We obviously get the chance to see it here every day, just how badly he wants to win here in Detroit, for the city of Detroit, for his teammates, for the organization. You couldn’t ask for a better representative of an organization.”
Van Riemsdyk spoke of the respect that Larkin has long commanded.
“We had some older guys, but you could tell he’s kind of like the heartbeat of that age group and the surrounding age groups,” van Riemsdyk said. “I feel like a lot of them, especially some of the younger ones, now look at him like a big brother. He’s definitely the guy that you wanted to foxhole with you when you’re going to play some important games.”