Dylan Larkin faced another uncomfortable night in Detroit, and Todd McLellan watched his former captain answer the pressure with his play.
Larkin returned Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators after missing Detroit's first 2 games with an upper-body injury. The reception at Little Caesars Arena made clear that the summer drama hasn't disappeared.
The boos started on his opening shift and followed him whenever he touched the puck. Detroit fans had already voiced their frustration during introductions at the home opener.
Then Nick Cousins added another layer. After a scrum, the Senators forward appeared to taunt Larkin over losing the Red Wings captaincy, putting the offseason controversy directly back in the spotlight.
Larkin didn't answer with a long confrontation. He answered on the scoreboard, scoring in the first period before adding an assist in Detroit's 5-3 win.
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That performance earned him first-star honors and helped the Red Wings secure their first victory of the season. It was the type of response McLellan needed from one of Detroit's biggest names.
Larkin faces the Detroit pressure head-on
The tension goes back to June, when Larkin's trade request became public. Detroit later removed the captaincy from a player who had worn the C for the previous 5 seasons.
That history explains why Tuesday felt bigger than a normal early-season game. Every shift carried another reaction from the crowd, and Cousins made sure the captaincy issue followed Larkin onto the ice.
Larkin's message afterward was direct. He acknowledged the frustration around him and made clear that he intends to face the response rather than hide from it.
“I'm trying to be a man and face it,” Larkin said after the win.
There was another moment that mattered. Larkin stepped into a scrum to support a teammate, giving the Detroit crowd something beyond his goal and assist to react to.
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One strong night won't erase months of tension surrounding his future with the Red Wings. The boos could easily return the next time Detroit has a rough night.
But Larkin's first game back showed exactly how he can change the conversation. Produce, compete, and force everyone in the building to react to what happens on the ice.
Should Red Wings fans stop booing Dylan Larkin after his response?
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