Red Wings embarrassed by Panthers, 8-1, in fitting season finale
· Yahoo Sports
SUNRISE, FL — What a fitting end to a fitful season for the Detroit Red Wings, an embarrassment that should linger deep into the offseason.
Down a handful of goals near the midpoint of their season finale, not even able to show competitiveness against a team fielding a lineup heavy on minor leaguers and hopefuls. A team that, like the Wings, is headed for tee times, not playoff games.
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The Wings looked like a team not even trying to win, giving up five straight goals en route to an 8-1 humiliation at the hands of the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, April 15 at Amerant Bank Arena.
It's the most goals the Wings have surrendered this season.
The Wings lost their last three games, settling their record for 2025-26 at 41-31-20, with 92 points. Since being 12 points above the playoff picture cutoff on Jan. 24, the Wings went 9-15-5, collecting just 23 points.
One, two, three, four, five
Vinnie Hinostroza scored five minutes into the game, finishing Wilmer Skoog's feed along the boards and rifling a shot past John Gibson, that gave Skoog, 26, his first NHL career point in his third career game.
About five minutes into the second period, Luke Kunin picked up third goal of the season in 62 games. Next came A.J. Greer, one of the few Panthers regulars in the lineup, scoring on a wrap-around while J.T. Compher was in the penalty box.
Mike Benning followed up with a night to remember for he and his family, scoring his first career goal at 9:39 of the second period. A couple minutes after that, Gibson went to the bench, and Cam Talbot took over in Detroit's net. The Panthers didn't pause, and Benning celebrated a second straight goal, scoring at 12:41, benefitting from the Wings' poor coverage on both goals.
Six, seven, eight
Justin Faulk, the defenseman acquired at the trade deadline, finished the season on a three-game point streak when he scored at 16:12 of the second period.
The Panthers went ahead 6-1 when Cole Schwindt scored at 8:54 and upped it to 7-1 when Cole Reinhardt joined the scoring fest less than a minute later. Kunin netted his second of the night at 18:12.
Larkin sits, Hamonic reappears
With nothing left to play for, the Wings rested Dylan Larkin, who played injured down the stretch after injuring his right leg March 6. The Wings went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, putting little-used Travis Hamonic into the lineup for the first time since Feb. 4. Hamonic, signed last summer, played just 26 games.
Up next
Locker clean outs and player exit meetings on Friday, with coach Todd McLellan and general manager Steve Yzerman.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings season ends in embarrassment, 8-1 loss to Panthers