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| credit: WXYZ |
Over
the weekend, the Buffalo Sabres found themselves a pair of wins, after a streak
where hitting the back of the net proved to be a difficult task. When the
Buffalo Sabres take on their next opponent, they’ll face a player that hasn’t
suffered from that problem this season.
In his
rookie year, Dylan Larkin has proven to be a formidable opponent for NHL
goaltenders. The 19-year-old center has an impressive 18 points this season (10
goals, 8 assists), ranking third in scoring among rookie players in the NHL. The
majority of those goals have come fairly recently. He has six goals in the Red
Wings’ last seven games, including Detroit’s single goal in their 2-1 loss
Saturday to the Florida Panthers.
While some
might be quick to call it a hot streak, Larkin started his career with the Red
Wings impressively enough. The Michigan native scored in his first NHL start,
the team’s home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Larkin immediately earned
some fans at Joe Louis Arena when he roofed a beautiful goal on Jonathan
Bernier to help cement a 4-0 Red Wings victory.
The
Sabres have historically struggled against Detroit. The team’s last win against
the Red Wings came last season in a 3-2 shootout victory, but Detroit has been
dominant in their previous 11 outings. Tonight’s matchup will also be the first
time most of the Sabres will meet Larkin, with the exception of Jack Eichel.
The Sabres’ rookie played alongside Larkin on the U.S. National Development
and National Under-18 teams and last year's U.S. World Junior team.
A potential Eichel/Larkin rivalry
should be interesting to watch this evening. With two early Calder Trophy
favorites on the ice, Tuesday’s matchup should be an entertaining one for any
hockey fan. While Larkin’s stats are impressive, Eichel doesn’t trail the young
Red Wings star by a large margin. With 12 points of his own (8 goals, 4
assists), Eichel doesn’t have much ground to make-up if he hopes to earn that
trophy this season.
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