Team USA coach makes difficult decision with Dylan Larkin
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is one of a pair of Red Wings players along with Lucas Raymond set to play in the 4 Nations Faceoff, which begins tomorrow in both Montreal and Boston.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is one of a pair of Red Wings players along with Lucas Raymond set to play in the 4 Nations Faceoff, which begins tomorrow.
Larkin was chosen to play for the United States, while Raymond will play for Sweden.
Larkin joins a stacked American roster that includes several divisional foes, including Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel, and Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
The Americans are led by Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who has elected to put Larkin on the very last forward line.
Per Michael Russo of The Athletic, the American line combinations are as follows:
Connor-Eichel-Matthew Tkachuk
Guentzel-Matthews-Hughes
Brady Tkachuk-Miller-Boldy
Nelson-Trocheck-Larkin and Kreider rotating
Slavin-Fox
Werenski-McAvoy
Hanifin-Faber
Sanderson
As far as the power play units go:
Matthews-Eichel (flanks)
Matthew Tkachuk (net)-Hughes (bumper)-Fox (point)
PP2
Connor-Boldy (flanks)
Brady Tkachuk (net), Guentzel (bumper), Werenski (point)
Larkin has 50 points (23G, 27A) this year for the Red Wings, who have vaulted themselves right back into a playoff spot under new coach Todd McLellan; he took over from the terminated Derek Lalonde on December 26, and has guided the Red Wings to a 15-5-1 mark.
