Rookie center Darren Helm scored his first National Hockey League goal on Saturday night, helping the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars in Game 2 of the NHL’s Western Conference Finals.
The Wings have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Helm scored 5:56 into the first period to give Detroit a 1-0 lead, taking a pass from Jiri Hudler and beating Marty Turco with a wrist shot from the left circle.
The 21-year-old Helm played 67 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2007-08, recording 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points. He also appeared in seven regular-season games with Detroit, and collected his first career NHL point in Game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against Nashville.
"We didn’t have expectations of him whatsoever," Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said Friday. "The first time we called him up, I was scared to play him and he was scared to play. Then when we called him up again he played really, really well. Now, in the playoffs, he’s a player that can play against anybody. He’s flat-out fast. He’s gritty. Finishes checks. Smart. Good defensively. Good in the faceoff circle. A real good player."
