Dylan Larkin's emotions get the best of him as he sparks a wild full-line brawl all by himself

Dylan Larkin went after Ridly Greig for a hit on Alex DeBrincat tonight, and the Red Wings and Senators turned it into a full-team scrum.

It started with Greig's hit on DeBrincat. Larkin didn't wait for anyone else to respond.

Before long, everyone on the ice was involved. Emotions that had been simmering in Detroit for weeks finally boiled over.

For Larkin, the timing says everything. He reportedly requested a trade this summer and lost the captaincy, and fans booed him as he was introduced with the scratches at the home opener.

Tonight he looked like a player with something to prove, to his teammates and to a fan base that had started to turn on him.

DeBrincat, 28, carries a $7,875,000 cap hit and has an assist through two games. Larkin made sure nobody took a free run at him.

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Detroit came into the night 0-2-0, with tickets going for as little as $14 and fans chanting "sell the team" at the opener.

A night like this won't fix any of that on its own. It does show the room hasn't given up on itself.

This is how Larkin answers the boos. Whatever happens with a trade, a player who stands up for a teammate like that deserves respect in that building.

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He's like the employee who already handed in his notice and still shows up first to defend a coworker in the meeting.

Shawn Horcoff has spent the weekend canvassing the market on Simon Edvinsson, and Elliotte Friedman floated the idea that an Edvinsson deal could reshape any Larkin trade.

Teams watching tonight saw something worth noting. Larkin still cares, and he's still willing to put himself on the line for this group.

The fans who booed him a few nights ago got a very different look tonight. Whether it changes the trade picture is another question entirely.

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