Dylan Larkin delivered the kind of moment a captain lives for. With the game tied in the third period, he found a sliver of space between the post and Yaroslav Askarov’s pad, jammed the puck across the line, and then watched as video review confirmed it. The go-ahead goal at 4:41 stood, the building roared, and the Detroit Red Wings closed out a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena.

The finish wasn’t just clutch; it was historic. Larkin’s tally was the 266th of his career, moving him into 10th place on the Red Wings’ all-time goals list. On a night when the game demanded a leader, he answered.

Detroit Red Wings 4-2 San Jose Sharks: How it unfolded

Detroit struck first, San Jose answered, and the pattern held through two periods before Larkin’s winner tipped the balance. The period-by-period rhythm told a story of pace and patience:

• 1st period: 1-1
• 2nd period: 1-1
• 3rd period: 2-0 Detroit

Alex DeBrincat opened the night with a power-play goal at 6:18 of the first. He parked in his sweet spot and buried a Lucas Raymond pass for his team-leading 25th, pushing his season total to 50 points. The Sharks hit back at 9:54, when Will Smith—back after a 13-game absence with an upper-body injury—pounced on a bouncing puck that had tumbled off Macklin Celebrini’s shot. Smith’s timing and touch looked sharp from the jump.

San Jose nearly took the lead later in the first. Smith broke free at 12:59 but John Gibson shut the door, a key stop that loomed large as the game grew tighter.

“That’s a captain’s goal and a captain’s moment.”

Larkin’s milestone and the third-period edge

The third is where Detroit pushed the game to the finish line. Larkin’s tiebreaker at 4:41 was gritty and smart, using the post and Askarov’s left pad as the only available lane. The review added drama, but the replay also showed control and intent—no kick, no push, just hard-nosed work at the crease.

Marco Kasper, who had been searching for a spark, provided it. He set up J.T. Compher for Detroit’s second goal at 6:55 of the second, sliding a cross-crease pass on the rush that Compher neatly tipped home for his sixth. Then Kasper iced it with an empty-netter at 18:28 of the third—his first goal in 37 games. He also ended a six-game pointless streak with his earlier assist. These are the kinds of nights that can reset a young player’s season.

“Kasper needed that one—the kid kept grinding and got rewarded.”

San Jose Sharks hang around, but chances slip away

San Jose did not fade. Early in the second period, Collin Graf redirected a Nick Leddy pass at 1:58 to give the Sharks their first lead. Graf now sits at 14 goals, a bright spot in a hard-fought road effort. Detroit answered less than five minutes later with the Compher tip, and from there it was a tight, trench-style game, decided by inches around each crease.

Macklin Celebrini, who assisted on Smith’s goal, continued his blistering run. He now has 72 points on the season—third in the NHL—and 32 over his last 18 games. Even without a goal in this one, his touch changed shifts and shaped chances. The Sharks came in hot, having won 7 of 9 and 4 of 5, and they played with that edge for much of the night.

“Celebrini looks like a star already—every touch feels dangerous.”

Special teams, helpers, and the small details

Detroit’s first power play was clean and quick, and it mattered. DeBrincat’s finish came off a crisp read from Lucas Raymond, who was the quiet engine all night. Raymond put up three assists to reach 50 points and kept plays alive with smart entries and simple touches. James van Riemsdyk chipped in two helpers, his net-front presence helping Detroit hold the zone. For San Jose, Leddy’s hands keyed the Graf tip, while Celebrini’s primary touch led to Smith’s opener. These are small, precise plays that separate good power plays and good lines from the rest.

DeBrincat’s 25th reinforced his role as Detroit’s lead finisher. Compher’s goal, just his second in 24 games, could be a springboard. And Kasper’s 1G-1A night needs no extra label—it was overdue and well-earned.

John Gibson steady; Yaroslav Askarov solid in defeat

Gibson, who has now won five straight starts, made 20 saves and two that carried extra weight: the first-period breakaway on Smith and a late third-period scramble while Detroit protected the lead. He played square and calm, kicking pucks out to safe ice and avoiding second chances.

Askarov stopped 21 shots for San Jose and looked composed, especially through heavy screens. Larkin beat him by inches and will beat many goalies that way. That happens when a captain both senses the moment and owns the net-front.

Form and standings context

The Red Wings are 29-16-4 and have now won five of six. Just as important, they still have not lost back-to-back games in regulation since November. That steadiness is why they keep climbing. Coming off a 3-0 loss in Boston on Tuesday, this was the right response—earn a power-play goal early, survive pushback, and close strong at home.

The Sharks drop to 24-20-3, but this was not a flat effort. They created enough to stay tied into the third and got scoring from young pieces in Smith and Graf. With Celebrini driving play and Askarov settling in, there is a base here that travels.

Scoring summary at a glance

• DET 1-0: Alex DeBrincat PPG (6:18 1st), from Lucas Raymond
• SJ 1-1: Will Smith (9:54 1st), from Macklin Celebrini
• SJ 2-1: Collin Graf (1:58 2nd), from Nick Leddy
• DET 2-2: J.T. Compher (6:55 2nd), from Marco Kasper
• DET 3-2: Dylan Larkin (4:41 3rd), video review confirmed
• DET 4-2: Marco Kasper ENG (18:28 3rd)

What’s next

Detroit returns home ice again on Sunday to host the Ottawa Senators, looking to stack another win and push this surge deeper into January. San Jose heads to Sunrise to face the Florida Panthers on Monday, a tough test against a fast team that punishes turnovers.

On a cold night in Detroit, the Red Wings got what they needed from their stars, their goalie, and a young forward who kept at it until the dam finally broke. That mix—top-end finish, simple detail, and a touch of grit—wins in January. It also wins in April.