Preview: Red Wings looking to bounce back without Dylan Larkin

The mood at Detroit Red Wings practice on Friday was reflective of the night before. Some mix of feelings between knowing the team played well in Thursday's 7-6 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning, knowing they had blown a three-goal lead in the final minutes, and anger about the uncertain status of captain Dylan Larkin.
Larkin was ejected from Thursday's game after taking a match penalty by punching Mathieu Joseph in retaliation for a hit along the boards. The same kind of hit that ended Larkin's 2020-21 season at the hands of Jamie Benn, put him in the hospital for a night and a neck collar for eight weeks. After a disciplinary hearing Friday afternoon, Larkin was given a one-game suspension by the NHL.

Benn wasn't suspended for the hit last year; Joseph wasn't given a penalty on Thursday.
"I think they have a player (Joseph) who's playing up the lineup for the first time. Kinda took a run at (Lucas) Raymond on one side and comes back over," said Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill. "I hadn't looked at the clip a whole bunch until this morning - it's right in the numbers and Larks hit his head … going into the glass. And at that point, there's no penalty called again, at that point he's thinking we have to police ourselves over here."

Blashill said that, although there were times on Thursday where he thought the team lost its cool a bit, he was happy with how they stuck up for their teammates.
"It's just that balance," he said. "We've got some fiery competitors on our team and I'd rather have fiery competitors you gotta work with to make sure they keep their tempers in check than guys who are vanilla and aren't that competitive."
Though the ramifications of his injury are unclear, Larkin didn't practice Friday and will miss Saturday's game against the Vancouver Canucks (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit) regardless due to the suspension.
Robby Fabbri centered the top line at practice, with Adam Erne taking his spot on the second line with Pius Suter and Filip Zadina.
"I've done it back and forth between wing (and center) the last few years," Fabbri said. "Growing up I played center, so I'm comfortable at all three positions up front."

The Canucks also opened their season with a point, taking a 3-2 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers after goals from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes.
The Red Wings have not played Vancouver since Oct. 22, 2019, a 5-2 loss, due to the league's pandemic scheduling last season.
"They're a little different than a Tampa team who kinda goes right on top all over the ice," Blashill said. "Probably closer to the way we play where we try to be on top of the opponent. They tend to keep their D a little more inside, use the forwards to forecheck more. They've got a really, really good power play. Elite-type power play, and so that's something we gotta be very smart about.
"... They're gonna be a good defensive team and we're gonna have to play good hockey."