Larkin ready to rebound in Stadium Series for Red Wings against Blue Jackets

COLUMBUS -- Todd McLellan is not concerned about Dylan Larkin heading into the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+, TVAS-D, FX-CA).

Less than 24 hours after the Detroit Red Wings coach called his captain “missing” during a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, he put the criticism to rest.

There is no concern of a repeat performance against the Blue Jackets in the rematch on the grand stage, McLellan said.

“It was an easy conversation,” McLellan said of his dialogue with Larkin on Friday. “He’s our captain, he cares, he’s committed to doing things right. He had an off night, we all do. Coaches have off nights. Other players have bad nights. He’ll be ready to play and I’m excited about watching him do that.“

Larkin knows the importance of the game Saturday, not only for bragging rights in a heated rivalry between Michigan and Ohio, often contested by the state universities on this very field, but also in an incredibly tight race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs that has each team holding a four-point advantage over a chasing pack for the two wild-card spots from the Eastern Conference.

He wasn’t acting like a player dealing with struggles Friday.

After taking part in the practice, Larkin, a proud member of the University of Michigan hockey family, called the home of The Ohio State University football team, the defending national champion, “probably the ugliest stadium I have ever been in.”

Larkin didn’t have a point, was minus-3, managed one shot on goal and lost five of nine face-offs in the game Thursday.

“I understand why [McLellan] said it and I probably would have said it myself if I spoke to you guys after the game,” Larkin said. “I wasn’t happy, I haven’t been thrilled with how I have been playing, but the team has been winning, and we have been playing well.

“I’m going through some stuff now to feel 100 percent and I’ll be there. But I understand why he said it. I hold myself to a high standard and I wasn’t happy with myself after that game.”

The game Thursday had huge ramifications.

With the win, the Blue Jackets (29-22-8) moved into a tie with the Red Wings (30-23-6) for the first wild card from the Eastern Conference. Each team has 66 points.

Now, the Stadium Series is even bigger.

As Larkin said, a win allows the Red Wings to continue to control their own destiny. The slide down the standings and out of playoff contention in the second half of last season by the Red Wings remains fresh for Larkin and others.

At this point last season, the Red Wings were in the first wild card with a record of 33-21-6. They finished 8-11-3 and missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals.

It’s that grasp of reality and the stakes at hand that allows everyone in the Detroit room to be convinced they will see a better version of Larkin, who is second on the team with 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 59 games.

In eight games in February, Larkin has two goals, three assists and is a minus-6. He is minus-5 in four games since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he played for the United States team that finished second, losing to Canada 3-2 in overtime in the championship game eight days ago.

Nobody was happy after the loss Thursday. But it was hard for the players to hear their captain called to the carpet for the sins of many.

“We’ve got to learn from yesterday, we have to improve,” said forward Lucas Raymond, who leads the Red Wings with 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists). “Everyone in this locker room and the coaching staff knows what Dylan is capable of, he’s our leader on and off the ice. Guys have bad games. Guys have tougher stretches. It’s not really a big deal. It’s a lot of pressure on him; it always has been. But I think he thrives on it and enjoys it.”

He'll get a chance to show it Saturday.