Alex DeBrincat’s homecoming has taken on historic proportions.
DeBrincat’s knack for scoring goals has highlighted the Detroit Red Wings’ five-game winning streak. They’ll look to keep rolling when the Seattle Kraken visit on Tuesday.
DeBrincat entered the week leading the league with eight goals and 12 points after he collected his fifth career hat trick in a 6-2 thumping of the Calgary Flames on Sunday.
He’s the first player in franchise history to score eight goals in his first six games with the club. He’s also the third player in NHL history and first since the 1917-18 season to score multiple goals in his first three home games with a franchise.
He’s also the sixth player to record at least 10 points in his first six or fewer games with the Red Wings.
DeBrincat, a Michigan native, was acquired in an offseason trade with Ottawa.
“It’s just something I’ve been able to do, try and find different ways to score,” DeBrincat said. “When it’s not going, I’m trying to figure out other ways to put it in the net.
“Thankfully, right now it’s going, but it’s a pace I’m probably not going to keep up forever. Got to find other ways to contribute to the game.”
He’s developed instant chemistry with first-line center and team captain Dylan Larkin, who has three goals and eight assists. That duo set each other up for goals against the Flames.
“Cat, his hockey sense is off the charts,” Larkin said. “Everyone knows he can score, but how he finds space and how he finds pockets, it took a little bit to get used to. I hadn’t played with a player who was looking in spots that not many can find.
“I’ve tried to just keep my eyes open for him when I have the puck, but also when he has the puck I’m trying to get open as well. It’s been really nice so far.”
The Kraken have stumbled out of the gate, going 1-4-1. They’ll be kicking off a four-game road trip on Tuesday.
Seattle’s struggling offense took a hit in its last game. Forward Andre Burakovsky will miss the next 6-8 weeks due to an upper-body injury suffered when New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba committed a boarding penalty against him on Saturday.
Burakovsky had 39 points in 49 regular-season games last season and two assists this season.
Seattle took only 19 shots on goal in the 4-1 loss to the Rangers and went 0-for-3 on the power play.
“We didn’t execute very well,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “We weren’t moving, and we didn’t have a lot of pace to our game. You saw that five on five, you saw that on our power-play opportunities. The sharpness and crispness was not there.”
The score was tied at 1 after the first period. The Rangers scored twice in the second period while the Kraken had only two shots on goal.
“We put ourselves in a decent position after 20 minutes and in the second period we took ourselves out of the game,” Hakstol said.
Jordan Eberle had two goals and three assists as the Kraken won both meetings with the Red Wings last season. Eberle has been limited to one assist this season.
–Field Level Media
