Dylan Larkin Steers the Wings in Showdown with Sabres: A True Captain’s Performance

Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings will continue their strong start to the season on Wednesday when they play against the Buffalo Sabres. Larkin was recently named the NHL’s First Star of the Week after recording nine points and a plus-7 rating in just four games last week. He earned this honor one day after matching a career high of four points in a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Detroit coach, Todd McLellan, praised Larkin saying, “Everything a captain should be.” He added that Larkin is not just about rhetoric, but quite often leads by example despite playing while somewhat injured. McLellan highlighted the need for Dylan to maintain his current performance.

Larkin’s point streak of six games is the second-longest to start a season, with only his eight-game run in the 2023-24 season surpassing it. He joined the prestigious company of Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman as the only members of the franchise to record multiple season-opening point streaks of minimum six games.

Larkin has also played a critical role in the team’s last six goals, being the first Red Wing to do so since Pavel Datsyuk in 2016. However, Patrick Kane will sit out the next two games due to an upper-body injury sustained after colliding with the boards in a recent match against Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Buffalo Sabres will hope to bounce back from a recent 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Despite the setback, their player Zach Benson managed to set up Jiri Kulich’s second goal of the season, making him one of three Sabres players to record six assists in their first three games of a season.