Dylan Larkin and the Detroit will look to continue their torrid starts to the season on Wednesday night when the Red Wings visit the Buffalo Sabres.
Larkin was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday after recording nine points (four goals, five assists) and a plus-7 rating in four games last week.
The Red Wings’ captain received the honor one day after he matched a career high with four points (two goals, two assists) in a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.
“Everything a captain should be,” Detroit coach Todd McLellan said of Larkin. “Leadership — and leadership isn’t just ‘rah rah.’ A lot of times he’s leading by example. He’s done a tremendous job. We’re early in the season, and he’s playing banged up a little bit. But everything that we should see from Dylan, we’re seeing from him right now. Now we’ve got a long way to go. He’s got to keep doing that.”
Larkin’s point streak of six games (five goals, six assists) is his second-longest to begin a season, trailing only his eight-game run to begin the 2023-24 campaign. He also joined Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman as the only members of the franchise to record multiple season-opening point streaks of at least six games.
Larkin has contributed to each of his team’s last six goals, becoming the first Red Wings player since Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk in 2016 to accomplish that feat.
Rookie Emmitt Finnie netted his first two goals of the season and added an assist in the Sunday victory for Detroit, which is celebrating its centennial season in style. The Red Wings have won five games in a row and are off to their second 5-1-0 start in the past three campaigns.
Patrick Kane sat out against Edmonton with an upper-body injury that he sustained after slamming into the boards in Detroit’s 2-1 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. McLellan said Kane will miss the next two games.
Buffalo, meanwhile, it saw its modest two-game winning streak end with a 4-2 setback to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.
Zach Benson set up Jiri Kulich’s second goal of the season, allowing the former to become the third Sabres player to record six assists through his first three games of a season. Jack Eichel (2020-21) and Thomas Vanek (2012-13) are the others.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Kulich said of Benson. “What he does starts from dirty work, and his skills are unreal. So I’m always so excited to watch him and share the ice with him.”
Another Zach made an impact on Monday.
Undrafted defenseman Zach Metsa made his NHL debut for the Sabres against the Canadiens, recording a plus-1 rating and one blocked shot in 9:02 of ice time.
“Not all guys are drafted high and given the opportunity and are in the right place at the right time,” Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. “He’s had to work for every inch, and he’s earned what he’s got; he’s earned this opportunity with us.”
