Dylan Larkin responds in bold way after Red Wings fans booed him off the hop

Dylan Larkin gave Todd McLellan the response Detroit wanted: boos on his first shift, then a goal before the night had settled.

Larkin's first game back immediately had an edge to it. The crowd let him hear it the moment he stepped onto the ice against the Ottawa Senators.

The reaction grew even louder when Detroit's captain touched the puck. There was no waiting period and no chance for Larkin to quietly work his way back into the flow.

That made his answer matter. Instead of letting the atmosphere dictate his night, Larkin went straight back to the part of his game Detroit needs most: attacking with purpose.

And minutes into the game, he had his goal. The same building that had greeted him with boos was suddenly watching him celebrate with his teammates.

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On the earlier sequence, Larkin collected the puck along the wall and the noise rose instantly as he moved it up ice, making the crowd's message impossible to miss.

The reaction was caught here:

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Larkin changes the tone almost immediately

That's what makes the opening stretch so striking. Larkin didn't need a full period to change the conversation around his return. One finish was enough to shift the focus back toward the ice.

For McLellan, that's the response a coach wants from one of his most important forwards. Whatever emotion surrounded Larkin before puck drop, Detroit still needed production once the game started.

The goal also carried more weight because of how quickly the night turned. Larkin went from being the target of the crowd to being surrounded by red jerseys in celebration.

The scoring sequence showed a player willing to stay involved rather than retreat from the moment. He got into the offensive action, found his chance and finished it.

Detroit's bench had every reason to feed off that response. A first game back can become about nerves, timing and reaction. Larkin made his about the scoreboard almost immediately.

There is plenty of hockey still to be played, but the opening statement has already been made. Larkin heard the boos, stayed in the game and answered them the cleanest way a top-six forward can.

For a return carrying this much attention, the opening minutes could hardly have gone better for Dylan Larkin.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Dylan Larkin faces harsh taunting chant from Red Wings fans the moment he stepped on the ice