The Detroit Red Wings issued a pair of injury updates before and during tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Earlier today, head coach Derek Lalonde noted that “we’ll know more” on the status of captain Dylan Larkin in the next couple of days, while defenseman Filip Hronek left their game against the Wild and will not return after colliding in a massive open-ice hit with Minnesota forward Ryan Reaves.
Larkin is out with a hand injury sustained in yesterday’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The team’s leader in assists and points has been critical in keeping Detroit in the playoff race despite a bevy of injuries early on in the year.
Hronek has been Detroit’s best defenseman this year, eclipsing the offensive and defensive play of last year’s Calder Trophy winner, Moritz Seider. His 24 points rank eighth among all NHL defensemen, and his +11 rating is tied for the team lead.
While Detroit has been able to keep its head above water, long-term absences to one or both of their best players this season could be the nail in the coffin for Detroit’s playoff hopes in an increasingly tight Eastern Conference race. The Red Wings are 10th in the conference and sit three points back of a playoff spot entering tonight’s play.
I can’t believe a penalty wasn’t called. Clearly contact was made on the chin area.
Hronek is obviously fine, As he wanted to re-enter the game. But the Drs held him out due to concussion protocol which was fine.
That is not the point. I have seen a lot LESS contact to the head area get called for a penalty & a suspension. Just because they say he had his head down doesn’t negate the fact that there was contact to the head.
Suspend Reaves.
There was absolutely head contact…because Hronek put himself in a vulnerable position that caused the head contact. Reaves didn’t accelerate or explode into the hit in a Trouba-like predatory fashion and it’s not his fault that Hronek was looking every other direction expecting not to get hit.
Was Reaves’s hit massive? Yes. Was there head contact? Yes. But I wasn’t a penalty, and it wasn’t a suspension. Hronek was skating with his head down, and Reaves wasnt going for the head when he hit him.