The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted an article which discusses Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s comments regarding the season to come. Larkin expressed optimism regarding the Wings’ 2021-2022 campaign on Tuesday, saying that it’s time for the Wings’ players to step up in a big way:
Maybe the most distinguishable difference from the past few seasons is there’s simply more NHL talent throughout the lineup. The Wings’ roster is deeper.
“It is,” said Larkin, who will begin his seventh NHL season Thursday when the Wings host the Lightning. “It’s younger. We had guys fighting for roles, guys battling all camp for that, and it was good and competitive. Some new guys came in and really wanted jobs. You could see (with the practices). Guys showed up in shape and ready to play. It was a good camp. (Now) we’re through it and we’re focused on Tampa.”
What Larkin, 25, sees with this particular group is an opportunity to reverse the negative vibe that comes with missing the playoffs the last five seasons, the losing records and the negative perception of the team around the NHL.
Larkin feels it’s definitely time to “write our own history.”
“We need to go out there and execute and prove why we, as a group, don’t want to be continuing the trend that’s been going on here,” Larkin said. “We’ve talked about it, talked about we’re our own team and we’ll write our own history.
“There’s so much history with this team, and you can look at it as pressure but things haven’t been going well, so we’re really going to start something now. Start with a push for the playoffs and playing meaningful games and playing the right way, with everyone contributing. When you get everyone contributing it’s fun and you win hockey games. And we begin to write history of our own.”
Continued (paywall);
Update: Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff also took note of Larkin’s remarks:
Larkin grew up watching the Red Wings dominate the NHL, winning four Stanley Cups between 1997-2008.
“There’s so much history with this team,” Larkin said. “You can look at that as pressure but things haven’t been going well. We’re gonna focus on trying to start something right now. Start something with a push for the playoffs, and playing meaningful games and playing the right way and the power play, penalty kill and special teams.
“We need everyone contributing and then it’s fun. You win hockey games and then we can start to write history on our own.”
No, the Red Wings can’t change history but they can change the narrative.
It all starts in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
