Underrated Red Wings forward headlines NHL's three stars of the week

The Atlantic Division's top team isn't the Tampa Bay Lightning this year; it's the Detroit Red Wings.

It's a sentence we'd honestly thought we'd never write at the beginning of the year, but it's a pleasant surprise.

The team is 5-1-0 and 1st in the Atlantic.

It's a result of the team firing on all cylinders, and the team has gained some well-earned notoriety in the media, as forward Dylan Larkin was named as the NHL's first star of the week.

Dylan Larkin is the captain of the Detroit Red Wings; he's earned the respect of his peers in the lineup, including new arrival James Van Riemsdyk.

It's not a wonder why he's the top forward in the lineup, as in the first six games of the year, he's scored a total of 11 points (5-6) for the Red Wings.

He scored a power-play goal in the first period of the game against the Maple Leafs and played a total of 18:39 time on ice. Against the Panthers he'd continue his points streak on October 15th, with two assists.

Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he'd score 2 points (1-1); one point was the game-winning goal in OT after Larkin capitalized on a failed odd-man rush.

His production against the Edmonton Oilers set the tone, scoring 4 points (2-2), and he finished the week with 9 points (4-5).

What a great week for the Red Wings star.