LARKIN'S STRONG DEBUT

June 2, 2015

by Pete Wallner –mlive.com
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How good has Dylan Larkin been as a pro so far? After five games, he leads the Grand Rapids Griffins with three goals and five points in the Western Conference finals against Utica.

"He's been awesome," said Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan. "He's the newest, flashiest thing so everybody wants to talk about him. We have a lot of guys like him. It has been key for us to get him at this point and he's given us a lift, for sure."

It is a lot to expect an 18-year-old fresh off a college campus to continue that pace, but the Griffins will need him if they hope to play for the Calder Cup Trophy for a second time in three seasons.

They have their backs to the wall as they trail the series 3-2 heading into tonight's Game 6 in Utica. A home puts them back at Utica Memorial Auditorium for Game 7 on Wednesday.

The winner will face Manchester in the finals. The Monarchs finished a sweep of Hartford on May 27.

Larkin, Detroit's top pick in 2014 (15th overall), has been unfazed so far as he leapfrogged through May from the campus of University of Michigan to member of the United States in the IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republi, to the conference finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

"It's been great," Larkin said. "It's a great city and a lot of people were here this (past) weekend and I had family come in. Teammates have been great, too."

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound center scored twice in a win in Game 2 and added his third of the series on the power play late in the second period to pull the Griffins within a goal in a 3-2 Game 5 loss Sunday. Add in his two assists – helpers in games three and four - and his five points are two better than anyone else on the team. And he was held without a point in his pro debut May 24.

"Dylan is continuing to assert himself out there and be a real impact player for us," coach Jeff Blashill said. "And he's got to be because he's getting big minutes as well."

Larkin has been paired mostly with Hoggan and Teemu Pulkkinen in what has been the Griffins' most effective threesome with 11 combined points. His three goals have come on 11 shots with a 0 plus/minus rating. He has taken three minor penalties, including roughing in Game 4.

The challenge for Larkin and the rest of the Griffins is to solve Comets goalie Jacob Markstrom. The 6-foot-6 goalie, with a 1.97 goals against average in the playoffs, has frustrated the Griffins since he was pulled after an uncharacteristic four goals on 12 shots in Game 2. He has allowed six goals in three games since, and turned in a number of acrobatic stops in a 32-save performance in Game 5.

"We just have to be more physical and keep battling," Larkin said. "On the bench we just kept saying, keep going. It's going to come. The goalie's going to get frustrated. That ended up not happening, but it wasn't deflating at all. We've been pretty persistent with our offense."

Larkin's goal on the power play was the latest in what has been the Griffins' most effective weapon so far. They have 11 goals and seven have come with a man advantage, with at least one each in the five games. They are 7 for 21 in the series.

June 2, 2015

by Pete Wallner –mlive.com
_________________________________

How good has Dylan Larkin been as a pro so far? After five games, he leads the Grand Rapids Griffins with three goals and five points in the Western Conference finals against Utica.

"He's been awesome," said Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan. "He's the newest, flashiest thing so everybody wants to talk about him. We have a lot of guys like him. It has been key for us to get him at this point and he's given us a lift, for sure."

It is a lot to expect an 18-year-old fresh off a college campus to continue that pace, but the Griffins will need him if they hope to play for the Calder Cup Trophy for a second time in three seasons.

They have their backs to the wall as they trail the series 3-2 heading into tonight's Game 6 in Utica. A home puts them back at Utica Memorial Auditorium for Game 7 on Wednesday.

The winner will face Manchester in the finals. The Monarchs finished a sweep of Hartford on May 27.

Larkin, Detroit's top pick in 2014 (15th overall), has been unfazed so far as he leapfrogged through May from the campus of University of Michigan to member of the United States in the IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republi, to the conference finals of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

"It's been great," Larkin said. "It's a great city and a lot of people were here this (past) weekend and I had family come in. Teammates have been great, too."

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound center scored twice in a win in Game 2 and added his third of the series on the power play late in the second period to pull the Griffins within a goal in a 3-2 Game 5 loss Sunday. Add in his two assists – helpers in games three and four - and his five points are two better than anyone else on the team. And he was held without a point in his pro debut May 24.

"Dylan is continuing to assert himself out there and be a real impact player for us," coach Jeff Blashill said. "And he's got to be because he's getting big minutes as well."

Larkin has been paired mostly with Hoggan and Teemu Pulkkinen in what has been the Griffins' most effective threesome with 11 combined points. His three goals have come on 11 shots with a 0 plus/minus rating. He has taken three minor penalties, including roughing in Game 4.

The challenge for Larkin and the rest of the Griffins is to solve Comets goalie Jacob Markstrom. The 6-foot-6 goalie, with a 1.97 goals against average in the playoffs, has frustrated the Griffins since he was pulled after an uncharacteristic four goals on 12 shots in Game 2. He has allowed six goals in three games since, and turned in a number of acrobatic stops in a 32-save performance in Game 5.

"We just have to be more physical and keep battling," Larkin said. "On the bench we just kept saying, keep going. It's going to come. The goalie's going to get frustrated. That ended up not happening, but it wasn't deflating at all. We've been pretty persistent with our offense."

Larkin's goal on the power play was the latest in what has been the Griffins' most effective weapon so far. They have 11 goals and seven have come with a man advantage, with at least one each in the five games. They are 7 for 21 in the series.