Things were going so well for the Red Wings earlier in the season. Their nine-year playoff drought looked certain to end.

The gamble on John Gibson paid off, their young blue line was coming together thanks to a Norris-caliber campaign from Mo Seider, and Dylan Larkin was the quintessential captain for a historic Original Six franchise.

But injuries and inconsistent play has clipped the Wings and now they find themselves in a dogfight for a playoff spot. Larkin's set to return this week, and even if he isn't 100 percent healthy, there's no way the captain was going to sit out Tuesday's key game against the Senators. 

Will the Red Wings make the playoffs, and will doubts about the Yzerplan finally end?