500 Games

500 games ago Dylan Larkin was lacing up his skates for the first time for the Detroit Red Wings, coming off a short stint at U of M and Grand Rapids, where he made the case that he was ready for the NHL. It only took him 20:20 to get his first NHL Goal, and shortly before that his first NHL assist. Larkin was not only the last 19 year old to make their debut since Mike Sillinger in the 90-91 season, he is also the last teenager to score in their debut since Steve Yzerman. Later in the season he scored in four consecutive games being the first to do so since Steve Yzerman. I could continue to rattle off stats but I think you are understanding, he had one heck of a rookie season.

In the 7 seasons(currently playing in 7th) that Larkin has adorned the Winged Wheel, I would argue that this current season is one of the best yet. It took him 433 games to finally find his place and role within the organization, this is not to say he has played poorly or anything of that nature, but he has finally gotten over the plateau I think he was on and now we are going to see a more veteran player come to the ice.

In the 67 games played this season he has scored 1 goal shy of his best season for scoring (2018-2019) which took him 76 games. He is currently 5 points shy of his overall best point total in scoring, which again was in 2018-2019. The one major thing I take when comparing the two seasons is the games played, as well as the shot total. Currently Dylan has shot the puck 200 times and found the back of the net about 15.5% of the time, compared to 18-19 when he shot it 287 times finding the back of the net 11.15%. This is one of the reasons I feel like we are finally getting a more veteran player, hes taking less shots, however the shots he is taking are more meaningful and finding the back of the net when needed.

Dylan has also established himself as a legitimate 200 foot player, showing that he is not a liability in the defensive zone, and if anything an asset, when protecting the rush or in the neutral zone, with multiple instances of stopping breakaways.

-Lets get the puck outta here

-Dustin Hannel - Wing Sauce Pod - Olde City Sports Network

photo by Hockey News