DETROIT — After five straight home losses, the Detroit Red Wings knew they badly needed to beat the Islanders on Saturday.
Thanks to two young stars and a veteran, they did — easily. The rookie Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist, Petr Mrazek made 28 saves, and the likely Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk had two assists as the Red Wings routed the Islanders, 5-1, for their first home win of 2016.
“That was fun because this was a huge game for our team,” Larkin said. “We were coming off two tough losses, but there wasn’t much said.