The Detroit Red Wings dynasty looks to be officially over.
The Red Wings have been, for the most part, the class of the NHL over the past 25 years. The last time they did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs was in the 1989-90 season, and have won 4 Stanley Cups in that stretch. Detroit won 14 Central/Norris division championships, and were at the top of the Western Conference 6 times. But all of that is over.
After the Red Wings loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, as well as the Boston Bruins win over the Nashville Predators and the Toronto Maple Leafs win over the Florida Panthers, the Wings were officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg seemed dissapointed the streak came to an end, but made sure to stay focused on the future.
From Zetterberg via Yahoo Sports:
“It is a great streak,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said to the Detroit Free Press. “The guys that have been a part of it should be proud of it. Unfortunately, it is over. We have to move on and look to the future.”
And the captain is right. The Red Wings feature a very young, impressive lineup. Led by emerging stars Dylan Larkin, Andreas Athanasiou, and Anthony Mantha, as well as goaltender Petr Mrazek, the future is bright in Detroit.
Larkin, 20, was not even born when the playoff streak began, but grew up idolizing the Wings. Larkin commented not only on the loss of the streak, but the numerous other “losses” the Red Wings and the city of Detroit have suffered.
Larkin’s comments via the Ottawa Citizen:
“With a historic storied franchise like the Red Wings, you’re going to have the ups and the downs we’ve had: losing Mr. I, losing Gordie Howe, the upside of hopefully the new energy of moving into a new arena,” Larkin said. “There’s a lot of positives and, of course, some negatives. You just have to try to tune out those negatives. You’ve got to find a way to just play and enjoy being a Detroit Red Wing. Because we know just how special it is.”
Things are changing in the motor city, or “Hockeytown” as it has been displayed on center ice of the Joe, but it is not the end of the Red Wings. More like a beginning. The streak may have ended, but that just means it is time to start a new one.
