Nick Cousins chirped Dylan Larkin about no longer being captain in Detroit, and the Red Wings answered with a 5-3 win over Ottawa for their first victory of the season.
It was a night full of emotion. Larkin had already gone after Ridly Greig for a hit on Alex DeBrincat, sparking a full-team scrum.
Then came the jab from Cousins. Reminding the former captain that he'd lost the C went straight at the sorest spot in Detroit right now.
Larkin reportedly requested a trade this summer and lost the captaincy. Fans booed him at the home opener, and some showed up tonight in his jersey with paper bags over their heads.
The Red Wings didn't let the chirp rattle them. John Gibson and Justin Faulk earned star honours, and Detroit finally got into the win column at 1-2-0.
Gibson, 33, had lost both of his first two starts despite a .915 save percentage. Faulk, 34, carries a $6,500,000 cap hit.
Todd McLellan's Red Wings find a spark in a heated win over Ottawa
Ottawa came in 2-0-0 after a 4-1 win in Boston on Monday. The Senators were on the second half of a back-to-back, and Detroit made them pay.
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Cousins, 33, carries a $1,587,500 cap hit and has one assist this season. Chirping is part of his game.
This one was a cheap shot. Mocking a player about a captaincy he lost in a painful summer says more about Cousins than Larkin, and Detroit answered it the right way.
It's like teasing a guy about his divorce at his own birthday party.
Shawn Horcoff is still weighing trade calls on Larkin and Simon Edvinsson. A win like this doesn't change the market, but it changes the mood.
The Red Wings host Seattle on Friday. Ottawa hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.
Larkin might not wear the C anymore. Tonight, though, he still played like the guy Detroit's room follows.
Did Nick Cousins cross the line chirping Dylan Larkin about the captaincy?
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