from Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now,
...the return of the team’s captain seemed to provide teammates a booster shot of confidence.
Lalonde said Larkin tried to play Tuesday against Columbus. “He was every disappointed that our athletic training staff was just doing their job,” Lalonde said.
Larkin was more adamant today. “He didn’t get the OK until the afternoon,” the coach said.
His teammates understood how important it was to have him back in the lineup. They were more excited than usual when he scored his first goal.
“There was a little bit more jump,” Red Wings forward Christian Fischer said. “I’m sitting right next to the guy, but he means everything to this team. The season that he’s had up until that injury is remarkable. I’ve seen a true number one center, which is really hard to find. He drives the play. I think you could see every guy just competing a little bit harder, just having the presence of Larks back there. It’s huge for this group. You saw it the last three weeks of us kind of slipping a little bit. I think that played a factor into it. Emotionally, you’re missing your horse. It’s pretty easy to see once he’s back how much the guys want it and how much the guys care.”