Larkin scores again in Griffins' Game 5 loss
Center Dylan Larkin scored his third goal in five professional games, but it wasn't enough as Grand Rapids fell to Utica, 3-2, and as a result the Griffins are one loss from the end of their season.
Visiting Utica forged a three-goal lead in the first period and then held on as the Griffins mounted a furious comeback that fell short. Mark Zengerle scored in the first period for Grand Rapids and Larkin scored his third goal of the series on a power play late in the second. The series returns to Utica for the final two games of the best-of-seven series Tuesday with Utica leading 3-2. Game 7 would be played on Wednesday.
A loss on either night and the Wings can schedule a news conference to introduce Jeff Blashill as their new coach. But it also would abruptly end a whirlwind season for Larkin, who won rookie honors at the University of Michigan, helped Team USA win the bronze medal in this month's World Hockey Championships, and signed his first professional contract with Detroit last week.
Amid it all, while Wings officials have been heartened by what they've seen of Larkin against older, stronger and more skilled competition, he acknowledges he's discovered some important things about himself.
"I've learned I can play at the highest level," he said of the Olympic-style competition in the world tournament. "Playing against the Russians overseas, that was an eye-opener.
"And I learned I'm a pretty mature guy. I can handle the hype, I think. I try not to get caught up in the media and all that, but it's tough to avoid. I just go about my business, not get too high or too low and just keep playing."
While Larkin has quickly established himself as an important player in Grand Rapids, fitting in nicely as a top-six forward playing critical minutes in all situations, Blashill appreciates even more the person behind the player.
"What's impressed me most about Dylan is the way he carries himself," Blashill said. "He's very comfortable in his own skin. When he first got here, he walked on the bus at 6 a.m. -- and he was fine.
"He has a will to win and a will to be great that you can see already. Those are things to me, those character traits that become more important than the skill set as you move up the pyramid. He seems to have all those character traits that can help guys be special."
That said, Blashill -- like Wings management -- warns against getting too excited about an 18-year-old kid a handful of games into his professional career. But Larkin's skills -- especially defensively -- have been a Godsend to a team that lost two important defensive forwards. Because he played 10 games for Detroit late in the season, Landon Ferraro couldn't be returned to Grand Rapids. And Tomas Nosek, one of the Griffins' best two-way forwards, has been out with an injury.
Larkin said he developed his defensive acumen with the U.S. national development team in Ann Arbor, where he was playing behind Jack Eichel, expected to be the second overall pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.
And it continued under coach Red Berenson at the University of Michigan this season.
"He was huge on defense, too," he said, adding that it's how he initially made an impression on his college coach. "He appreciated my 200-foot game, but there were times when all I wanted to do was play offense. Then he'd sit down and talk to me. . . It worked out pretty well."
Larkin said he learned more from Berenson than just the on-ice skills he sharpened at Michigan.
"He kind of taught me how to love the game, too," Larkin said. "He's so passionate, and he's been doing it for a long time. I just learned a lot from him."
As for walking onto a winning team in the middle of a long playoff run -- the Griffins are trying to win their second Calder Cup in three seasons under Blashill -- Larkin said it's been everything he could ask for and then some.
"We've got some older guys and some young guys here," he said. "It's been good. It's a lot of fun."
ICE CHIPS: Defenseman Alexey Marchenko missed his second straight game with a shoulder injury, and the absence was felt. Utica scored all three first period goals by outmuscling the Griffins in their own zone when their third defense pair was on the ice. It included Ryan Sproul, mentioned at mid-season by Wings General Manager Ken Holland as a serious prospect. He still may be, but he was a healthy scratch through most of the playoffs until Marchenko got hurt. Sproul, 22, is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound fleet, right-shot defender who, according to Blashill, needs to spend his summer getting stronger.
