Don’t Overreact to Dylan Larkin’s Two-goal Night for Red Wings
By John Manzo
The fifth-year pro scored twice for the first time this season against the Sabres as the Red Wings snapped a nine-game winless streak.
It was a good night, that’s about it.
Dylan Larkin scored two goals and led the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 shootout victory against the Buffalo Sabres inside the KeyBank Center Thursday night.
The win snapped a nine-game winless streak and gives the team some momentum as it heads into back-to-back road games, with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
Larkin looked the part of a captain out on the ice Thursday night. He produced offensively with two goals in regulation, put in the work defensively and came up clutch with a filthy backhand shootout goal that left an outstretched Sabres goaltender Jonas Johansson flat on his stomach wondering what day it was.
Spoiler, Johansson. It was Thursday, and you just lost to the worst team in the NHL.
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After the game, Larkin “D-Boss” gifs and memes came out in full force on social media, and national pundits such as NBC Sports Pro Hockey Talk writer Scott Charles were letting people know how “Detroit should be excited” about Larkin and how he’ll provide hope for the team during this “dismal” season.
It was a good win for the Red Wings – led by Larkin – but let’s not overreact.
Before the game, we knew Larkin would be a prominent piece for the Red Wings – now and for the foreseeable future. Another scoreless outing for the fifth-year forward or a four-goal night wasn’t going to change that.
He’s basically the captain of the future – despite general manager Steve Yzerman deciding against naming a captain for the 2019-2020 team – and a proven goal scorer in the NHL.
But let’s remember it’s just the first time this season Larkin has scored two goals in a game according to Hockey-Reference.com, and was his first goal since Jan. 20 against the Colorado Avalanche. Those aren’t exactly captain stats.
But, yes, for one night, it felt good to watch Detroit win a competitive hockey game, on the road no less. And for that, I hope it did something for you, whether it was a sense of hope or a simple smile.
But just remember it’s only two points, only two goals and still a long journey before Larkin is officially the “D-Boss” of this team.