Top 5: Dylan Larkin Gets Totally Outplayed by Nick Cousins

Marc-Olivier Cook
Top 5: Dylan Larkin Gets Totally Outplayed by Nick Cousins
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

Several games were played last night in the National League.

Any standouts?

The Montreal Canadiens' game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Habs lost—let's see what happened elsewhere across the league.

1: Larkin gets pranked… after a big night

Dylan Larkin played his first game of the season last night.

Actually…

Dylan Larkin played his first game of the season last night, and it took place at his team's home arena, the Red Wings' home. It marked his first appearance in Detroit since the Wings removed the “C” from his jersey.

And the guy didn't disappoint.

He helped the Wings secure a 5-3 victory over the Sens with a goal and an assist. A big comeback for him in front of his fans: 

At the end of the second period… things got interesting.

Larkin got into it with Nick Cousins, who then taunted him by pointing to the “C” on his jersey. Larkin didn't appreciate it… but the fans in the arena seemed to love the show.

And for good reason:

The Wings won their first game of the season and have their (former) captain to thank for the victory; he did everything he could during the game to help his team win.

Will fans in Detroit be willing to forgive him if he keeps playing like this? That remains to be seen…

2: A (worrying) injury for Brad Marchand

The Florida Panthers were on the road in Los Angeles last night to face the Kings.

And what stands out most from the game is Brad Marchand's injury… which forced him to leave the ice with the help of his teammates.

It looked like it hurt. And judging by the clip below, you can see just how much pain he was in:

To see the full play, click right here… #Ouch 

The Panthers still managed to win the game 2-1.

They have Matthew Tkachuk to thank… who scored the game-winning goal in the third period:

3: Big Night for Gavin McKenna

All eyes have been on Gavin McKenna since the start of the season.

And last night in Toronto, the kid had a blast.

He started by recording his first career NHL point…

And later in the game, he scored the very first goal of his career in the big leagues. He did it with a very, very precise shot:

The game went into overtime… and Auston Matthews, who was also having a big night, sealed the deal to give his team a 5-4 victory over the Preds.

It was a four-point night (one goal and three assists) for the Leafs' captain.

Will Alexis Lafrenière break out?

We're all waiting for Alexis Lafrenière's breakout.

And we're all wondering if it will ever happen, given that he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020.

But yesterday, the Quebec native really looked like a No. 1 pick. He helped the Rangers beat the Islanders 5-2 with a hat trick and four points in the game:

Expectations have always been high for him, and it's great to see him perform like this.

But in New York, fans would like to see him dominate night after night. And that's what's still missing from his game to become an NHL star: consistency.

The Return of Showtime in Chicago

It was a big night for Blackhawks fans.

It marked Patrick Kane's official return to Chicago… he hadn't played there (in a Hawks uniform) since February 22, 2023.

It had been a long time… and the Hawks fans gave him quite the welcome:

Fans in attendance also got to see Jonathan Toews and Niklas Hjalmarsson, who were called upon to get everyone in the arena fired up:

The Hawks beat the Blues 4-2, and Kane was held scoreless.

No big deal: Anton Frondell led the offensive charge, finishing the game with a solid two points (one goal and one assist). He's going to be a good one.

After the game, Spencer Knight was introduced to the crowd after a strong performance in net, making 26 saves on 28 shots by the Blues.

And he reminded fans just how much fun it is to have Patrick Kane back in the lineup:


Overtime

– A great achievement for Mark Stone.

– Boom.

– Bang (again).

– He's on fire.

– Well done.

– Classic.

– Top scorers of the night:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– Three games tonight in the NHL.

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)
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