USA’s Dylan Larkin overjoyed after scoring biggest goal of career

MONTREAL — Dylan Larkin could spot his dad pretty easily.

“He’s got the whitest hair,” Larkin said.

So when Larkin kept the puck on a two-on-rush and scored to break a one-all tie between Team USA and Canada late in the second period on Saturday night, he didn’t have any trouble finding father Kevin.

“They were sitting right in that corner,” Larkin said. “When I celebrated, I looked up. They were right there.”

It’s no overstatement to say that the goal — which stood as the game-winner in the eventual 3-1 Team USA victory — was the biggest of Larkin’s career.

The University of Michigan product and career Red Wing has played in just five postseason games, all coming in his rookie season, when Detroit went down in five games to Tampa Bay.

Until this tournament, the biggest games he’s played since were late last season, when the Red Wings were fighting for a playoff berth, ultimately falling short on the final day of the season.

So it’s no surprise that Larkin was beaming after this one, calling it “one of the best experiences of my life,” and repeating how much it meant to him.

It wasn’t just the biggest game of his career, as it was for just about everybody on both rosters. It was the biggest game of his career — by a long shot.

“Just a great moment for USA Hockey and tonight, I was thinking about kids watching that game,” he said. “What kind of message the work ethic, the compete, guys blocking shots. I hope kids are watching that like I was as a kid, wanting so badly to put that jersey on in the next generation.”

Larkin was noticeable throughout the opening game against Finland and in the early stages of this one, but missed a couple Grade-A chances.

He passed up an earlier two-on-one, trying to feed Matt Boldy on a feed that couldn’t quite connect in the first.

Then in the second, he hit the post on what appeared to be an open net.

So when the third try came later in the second with another odd-man rush, Larkin wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

“The next one is going on net,” Larkin said. “I think to be able to score that goal … I got to see my family jump up and just probably one of the more special goals of my career.”