"Difficult End To The Season": Dylan Larkin Reflects On Missed Chances For Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin, the only player on the current roster to have last played a postseason game for Detroit, spoke on Friday morning.
Follow Michael Whitaker On X There isn’t a player on the Detroit Red Wings who has been with the organization longer, or borne more of its setbacks, than team captain Dylan Larkin, the lone remaining player from the club’s last Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 2016. Despite setting a career high with 34 goals this season, Dylan Larkin suffered an injury at a critical point. Although he eventually gutted it out and played through it, he was unable to carry his team over the finish line.
The Red Wings now hold the unfortunate distinction of owning the NHL’s longest active postseason drought, after the Buffalo Sabres, who hadn’t qualified since 2011, finally ended theirs. "It's been hard, not great. I think it's been a very difficult end to the season," Larkin said on Friday morning.
"Never a fun time when you miss the playoffs, but especially in this fashion, and kind of being here again. So today is not a pleasant day around the rink, that's for sure. " Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news , game-day coverage, and player features .
During Detroit’s stretch run in March, they often found themselves trailing by multiple goals against opponents they were directly competing with in the standings. Head coach Todd McLellan repeatedly called for a higher level of compete from his players, while questions also arose about “outside noise” potentially creeping into the locker room. “I mean, that's a fair question, and I think, like I said, part of the tightness was kind of dipping your toe into a game, and when you're anxious for a game, there are tendencies as a player to go out there and see what it's going to be like,” Larkin said about Detroit's slow starts down the stretch.