There\u2019s no question it\u2019ll remain an uphill battle after the Olympic break, but the Detroit Red Wings appear poised to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade.<\/p>\n
Detroit\u2019s most recent playoff streak was the fourth-longest in NHL history, spanning from 1991 to 2016. During that stretch, the Red Wings won four Stanley Cup titles in six appearances. Ready to begin the next streak, captain Dylan Larkin<\/a> explained to DJ Siddiqi of RG Media<\/a> how his career has unfolded and what\u2019s different about this year\u2019s club.<\/p>\n Obviously, being from Waterford, MI, and playing his amateur hockey at the Belle Tire program, Larkin\u2019s commitment to southeast Michigan runs deep. Playing his collegiate hockey at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Larkin has never had a home game outside of his small pocket in Michigan.<\/p>\n Being on the last Red Wings to make the playoffs in 2016, Larkin had the opportunity to learn from a pair of the organization\u2019s best: his first captain, Henrik Zetterberg<\/a>, and his current General Manager, Steve Yzerman<\/a>.<\/p>\n Opening up on some of the conversations he\u2019s had with Yzerman, Larkin said, \u201cI mean this respectfully, he\u2019s a pretty private guy, and I believe most of the stuff we talk about should stay private. But he\u2019s been a great role model for me. Henrik Zetteberg, who I got to play for my first three years, is probably the most significant person I\u2019ve leaned on in my career. Steve is right up there with Henrik. I\u2019m very fortunate to work with him, and he\u2019s given me a lot of great, priceless advice.\u201d<\/p>\n Zetterberg was one of the Red Wings\u2019 most successful draft stories from the 1990s, and there were a few. Detroit selected him 210th overall in the 1999 NHL Draft, and he debuted for the team in the 2002-03 season.<\/p>\n