Dylan Larkin will carry a four-game goal-scoring streak out to the Joe Louis Arena ice when the Detroit Red Wings play host to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, but it’s the way the rookie forward carries himself off the ice that’s been as equally striking to his Detroit teammates as his exploits between the boards.
“One of the things that impressed me when I first got him in Grand Rapids (late last season) was that he has a real inner confidence to him but he’s a down to earth person,… Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said of Larkin. “I think sometimes guys that are insecure have that cockiness. He doesn’t have that.
“He’s got a real inner confidence, a quiet confidence I’d call it. He believes in himself. He doesn’t feel he needs to pass the puck to anybody, a veteran or anything like that. He believes in himself but it’s not cocky at all. He’s certainly a grounded kid.…
Larkin’s fourth goal in as many games came in the third period of Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win at St. Louis over the Blues. He went to the net and puck banked in off his body. It’s the longest goal-scoring streak by a Wing since Gustav Nyquist scored in six straight games from March 15-25, 2014.
“He might have got lucky on that one, but I don’t know if it’s luck,… Blashill said of Larkin’s latest tally. “When you keep going to the net, good things happen. That’s one of the things we’ve talked a lot about is getting more net presence.
“Larkin had a great game (in St. Louis). He really probably could have had about three. He’s obviously done a real impressive job. We’re going to continue to work on little details in his game. He’s got a great motor and he’s extremely competitive.…
Those little details have mostly to do with the game when Larkin doesn’t have the puck on his stick.
“He’s got to continue to grow his game and that won’t necessarily be seen from the fans all the time because he is on the puck a lot,… Blashill said. “He’s got great energy, he skates great, he’s produced offensively.
“Growing his game for me will be the little things he has to get better at - coming back in his own zone, stopping and picking up the proper people on sorts and rushes against. Little things like that, coming back and being in the right spots defensively.
“The things that are our job as coaches to teach guys to help them get better at. I’ve had lots of experience with that. I think everybody’s got to grow and he’s certainly not alone in that.…
Stadium Series The Wings unveiled the uniforms that they will don for their Feb. 27 Stadium Series game against the Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field.
The coloration of the uniform is primarily red, with simplified white accents. The crest features a redesigned D logo.
The Wings also wear white gloves as part of their ensemble.
Player Of Week Forward Tomas Jurco is making the most of his conditioning assignment to the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate.
Jurco was selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 22, 2015.
Injecting life into the Grand Rapids offense during his three-game stint, Jurco tallied three goals and four assists for seven points – including assists on all three game-winning goals – while helping the club to victories over three Western Conference powers.
In his first AHL appearance of the season on Wednesday, Jurco helped set up the winning goal with 9:49 left in regulation as Grand Rapids defeated Rockford, 3-2, to end the IceHogs’ 10-game points streak. On Friday, Jurco tied a franchise record with three power-play goals for his third career hat trick, part of a four-point effort to lead the Griffins over San Diego, 7-4. And on Saturday night, Jurco assisted on both Grand Rapids goals in a 2-1 win at Chicago, the Griffins’ third straight win after they had been 2-8-0-1 on the season entering the week.
Jurco, 22, had one assist in four NHL games with Detroit this season prior to joining the Griffins.
“My message to Jurcs was go down there – now the one thing I said to him was I wasn’t going to judge purely on the scoresheet because I think sometimes there’s a bigger story than that,… Blashill said. “He’s got to do other things well.
“The word that I’ve got is he’s played very good. Obviously he’s scored and dominated from an offensive sense on the scoresheet, which I think is good. I watched the first period of the Wednesday game, his first game down there, and I thought he did some good stuff. I thought he did a good job on the forecheck; he was physical.
“The goals I saw him score in the highlights were goals that are elite. Two of them in particular were snipes. That’s something I hope continues to build his confidence. I know he can do that.
“So far it’s been a good three games. He has to continue. We take it day to day but if he continues to stay down there for a few more games he’s got to continue to play great.…
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