The post Red Wings Larkin: “It’s Not About Me” appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.
Whether it’s fair or not, Captain Dylan Larkin is the face of the failure of the Detroit Red Wings to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. He’s the only member of the team who’s been there for the heartbreak of all 10 successive postseason absences.
And yes, you better believe that it hurts. But then, you’ve probably seen the pain all over Larkin’s face as he’s been left to explain another year of coming up short of the objective.
“Yeah, it’s been hard,” Larkin said. “It’s been very difficult. End of the season, it’s never a fun time when you miss the playoffs.”
Some with the club’s fanbase want Larkin to shoulder the blame. A portion is even ready to suggest he’s part of the problem. That conveniently ignores his five straight 30-goal seasons, including a career-high 34 goals this season. It overlooks Larkin’s willingness to play through the pain of injury again this season, desperately seeking to will the team over the finish line.
The Red Wings were booed off the ice after getting eliminated from playoff contention in their home finale. Dylan Larkin talked about it after the game."There's been some great years here, and they want us back to that, and that's what they expect here."🎥 @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/r1sBf5Df0U
And yet, Larkin stands up and says he’s the first to need to do more. He believes he could have set a better example by leading the team to overcome so many slow starts and avoid the inconsistency that plagued the Red Wings down the stretch of the regular season.
“Part of that’s on me as captain of the team,” Larkin said. “As a forward that plays a driving game, I should probably have been out there more and driving the play early in games to set the tone for a team. And that sets a mindset that would go through the entire lineup.”
As much as he’s the poster boy for the Red Wings, Larkin’s main focus is not to make all of this about his pain.
Yes, he wants to make the playoffs more than anything. But he wants that to happen for the entire organization, and for the long-suffering supporters of the team.
“When I signed an eight-year deal (in 2023 to remain with the Red Wings), I knew that we had work to do,” Larkin said. “I knew that we weren’t going to win the Stanley Cup the next day, but I wanted to be here.
“I want to be here to help this team in any way I can to win the Stanley Cup.”
Three powerplay goals for Detroit…Dylan Larkin cashes in now. 3-1 DET. pic.twitter.com/tCc4LGFjvc
What Larkin doesn’t want to do, as he’s once again left to ask what went wrong, is to make this all about him.
“It’s a team sport where there’s 23 guys, and everyone’s important, and everyone plays a role in a winning team,” Larkin said. “It’s the Detroit Red Wings.
“We need to get the Detroit Red Wings back in the playoffs, not just me.”
The post Red Wings Larkin: “It’s Not About Me” appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.