Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin named NHL first star of the week

Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin of Waterford, MI was named the National Hockey League’s first star of the week from December 13 to 19 on Monday according to nhl.com. In three games, Larkin had five goals and two assists for seven points. 

Larkin began his week with a power-play goal in a 2-1 Red Wings win over the New York Islanders on December 14. He opened the scoring with his 11th goal of the season from European rookies Lucas Raymond of Gothenburg, Sweden, and Moritz Seider of Zell, Germany. Seider and Raymond were the Red Wings’ first round draft picks over the last couple of years. Seider, a defenseman, was selected in the first round, sixth overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft. Raymond, a left winger, was selected in the first round, fourth overall, in the 2020 NHL Draft.

In Larkin’s second game of the week, he had one goal and one assist for two points in a 5-3 Red Wings loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on December 18. Then in Larkin’s third game of the week, he had three goals and one assist for four points in a 5-2 Red Wings win over the New Jersey Devils. For Larkin, it was the first hat trick of his NHL career.

Larkin is one of three Red Wings to record a hat trick this season. On October 14, Tyler Bertuzzi of Sudbury, Ontario scored thrice in a 7-6 Detroit loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and on October 24, Raymond scored thrice in a 6-3 Detroit win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Bertuzzi hat trick was the very first hat trick of the 2021-22 NHL regular season.

In addition to the five goals and two assists for seven points, Larkin was a +3, with one power play point, nine shots on goal, six hits, two blocked shots, and 17 faceoff wins. On the season, Larkin has 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points, was a +3, with 16 penalty minutes, five power-play points, three game-winning goals, 78 shots on goal, 210 faceoff wins, 13 blocked shots, 15 hits, 14 takeaways, and 12 giveaways.

The Red Wings currently have the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 15 wins, 13 regulation losses, and three losses in extra time for 33 points, they have three more points than the ninth-place Boston Bruins.