Dylan Larkin made the best of an awkward situation in his season debut. He’ll try once again to win over the home fans when the Detroit Red Wings host the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Larkin, the Red Wings’ former captain, requested a trade in the offseason but remains with the only NHL team he’s played for during his 12-season career. While Larkin has not publicly withdrawn the request, he turned boos into cheers with a goal and an assist against Ottawa in a 5-3 victory on Tuesday.
“I’m trying to be a man and face it, and I understand why that’s happening,” the 30-year-old center said. “But again, like I said to (local reporters) at the start of the season, I was going to try and show up with my play, and it was nice to be out there with the guys and get a win.”
Larkin missed Detroit’s first two games due to an upper-body injury. The team lost both by a combined score of 5-2.
“We needed this win,” Larkin said of the triumph over the Senators. “We started out (losing) two, and you don’t want to start that way, especially on home ice. You could feel it creeping into the practices and the games and the morning skates, but good to see some smiles back there after this win.”
Alex DeBrincat, the team’s leading goal scorer last season, also had a big night with a pair of goals and an assist. Viktor Arvidsson, a key offseason pickup, scored for the second straight game.
DeBrincat scored Detroit’s first goal, 32 seconds after Ottawa took the lead, and capped the night with an empty-netter.
“That was a defining moment, I think, in the game,” coach Todd McLellan said of DeBrincat’s first goal. “We could have sagged. It was just a simple, direct play. Nothing fancy. … I thought he had a tremendous game tonight.”
Detroit will wrap up a four-game homestand against the 2-2-0 Kraken. Seattle lost to Vegas, 6-2, in its last outing on Tuesday.
“You’ve got to give them credit, they’re a good hockey team,” Seattle coach Lane Lambert said of the Golden Knights. “They came within two wins of the Stanley Cup last year. Yes, we beat them three times last year as well, but they play the game, and they play it a certain way, and it’s pretty simple. And there’s a lot for us to pick up from that.”
Both Kraken goals came in the third period after Vegas established a five-goal advantage through two periods. Seattle racked up 43 penalty minutes.
“There are certain things that you can’t measure on the stat sheet,” Lambert said. “I liked our fight until the end. You can’t have a home game where you’re losing 5-0 in the third period. I’m proud of our team for coming out in the third period and continuing to battle right through to the bitter end.”
Jared McCann leads the Kraken with five points, while four players share the team lead in goals with two apiece. Detroit beat Seattle in both meetings last season, with Emmitt Finnie scoring in each contest.
Seattle will be without defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss four to six weeks.