Larkin has been remarkably consistent in recent years. Each of the past four seasons, he has finished with 30-33 goals, 36-47 assists and 69-79 points.
This good start feels particularly important for Larkin, though, given the background and what's at stake.
Larkin played for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off last season. He accepted a lesser role, skating in the bottom six and on the penalty kill, and had two points (one goal, one assist) in four games, including the winning goal in a 3-1 victory against Canada in Montreal on Feb. 15.
Through Feb. 25 last season, Larkin had 53 points (24 goals, 29 assists) in 58 games for the Red Wings, who held the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Then he had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 24 games when they finished 9-13-2. Detroit failed to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth straight season, the longest drought in its history.
In Larkin's season-ending media availability, he said the Red Wings didn't gain momentum from the NHL Trade Deadline. Their most significant move was acquiring goalie Petr Mrazek and center Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks for center Joe Veleno on March 6.
"Guys were kind of down about it," Larkin said. "It'd be nice to add something and bring a little bit of spark on the ice, and maybe a morale boost as well."
That didn't seem to go over well with Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman, who responded in his season-ending media availability.
Yzerman said the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues didn't do anything before the deadline and made the playoffs "led by their best players." Asked about Larkin's comments, he said, "I'm counting on our best players, our leaders, to give us a bit of a morale boost. That's what they're paid for, and that's the expectation from them."
All seems well now between the captain and GM.
"I enjoy talking with him," Yzerman told TNT on Oct. 15. "He's very open with me. We communicate very well, so I think we have a great relationship. The comments at the end of the season aren't that big of a deal and certainly didn't create any divide in the relationship."
The Red Wings opened this season with a sloppy 5-1 loss to the Canadiens, their Atlantic Division rival that secured the second wild card in the East last season, five points ahead of them.
McLellan said after the game that some of the players had been doing it for years and "it's time." The next day, he said he asked three or four longtime Red Wings, "Are we tired of this yet?" He said he wasn't blaming them, but it had to have an impact on them and if they would lead, the others would follow.
No current player has been in Detroit longer than Larkin, who made the playoffs as a rookie in 2015-16 and hasn't been back since. He has led by example for the Red Wings, who have responded with a five-game winning streak.
Rookie Emmitt Finnie, a 20-year-old who was selected in the seventh round (No. 201) of 2023 NHL Draft, is playing with Larkin on the top line. He scored the first two goals of his NHL career and had an assist Sunday amid the matchup with Draisaitl and McDavid. Larkin grabbed the puck after his first goal and tossed it to a trainer on the bench.
"He talks to me a lot," Finnie said. "He's giving me pointers throughout the game and even in practice and stuff. He's always helping me with all the little things. He's been great for me."
Finnie has been great for Larkin too. Larkin's biggest strength is his skating, and it helps to have Finnie on the left wing and Lucas Raymond or Mason Appleton on the right.
"Great skating guys that can skate and think the game at high speed and making it very easy," Larkin said. "I don't have to be F1 on the forecheck and first guy back to play defense. It takes a little bit of the load when you've got two other guys that can skate and go help and do some of the heavy lifting to get the pucks back."
The big questions now: Can Larkin lead Detroit back to the playoffs this season? Can he play a key role for the United States at the Olympics?
"We've got a long way to go," McLellan said. "He's got to keep doing that."
