Red Wings Back in Playoff Hunt With Sweep of Lightning

The Detroit Red Wings hadn’t won since March 21. Alex Lyon hadn’t won since Feb. 27.

Both of those skids came to a halt Monday, and so did the gloom and doom surrounding Detroit’s diminishing playoff chances.

David Perron’s goal with 2:40 left in regulation time would snap a 2-2 tie, propelling the Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The outcome brought a halt to Detroit’s 0-2-2 losing skid during this five-game road trip.

Back on top! DP_57 bangs home the rebound, and the Red Wings re-take the lead late in the third period! 🚨#LGRW pic.twitter.com/7pAhCOo68d

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 2, 2024

“None bigger goal than DP’s goal at the end and he’s been in the battle the whole season, he always is,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin told Bally Sports Detroit. “For him to score the big one, it was just a veteran player that knows how to play in these big games.”

It’s also the first time in franchise history that the Red Wings have swept a season series of three or more games from the Lightning. As well, Detroit was ending a nine-game (0-7-2) winless drought on the road.

Red Wings Tied With Capitals

More significantly, the outcome is leaving Detroit and Washington in a deadlock for the final Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot. Each team has 82 points. However, the Capitals (73 games) hold two games in hand on the Red Wings and the first tiebreaker. Washington has 28 regulation wins, compared to 26 for Detroit.

Lucas Raymond puts the exclamation point on this one with an empty netter! 🚨#LGRW pic.twitter.com/agHlqfLq4R

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 2, 2024

“We’ve been playing really good team hockey recently,” Perron said. “Obviously, we know how many points we need to keep advancing, being in the fight. I’ve liked our recent play. We just gotta keep pushing, keep getting points.”

Elsewhere Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers were losing 4-3 in overtime to the New York Islanders. The OT point was enough to move Philly (83 points) back into third spot in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of the Capitals. But the Flyers have played 76 games.

Rasmussen Suffers Injury Late In Game

Center J.T. Compher won the offensive-zone draw that led to Perron’s game winner. He led all Detroit forwards in ice time with 23:10.

Lucas Raymond would tally an empty netter. Patrick Kane and Robby Fabbri scored earlier to twice give the Red Wings the lead, only to see the Lightning tie it each time.

“It’s been hard,” Larkin admitted. “These games have been hard, intense. (In this game) we got rewarded with playing the right way and hard, battling.”

Ending a personal 0-8-2 slide, Detroit goalie Lyon was stellar, blocking 34 shots.

“Even when things weren’t going his way he just stuck with it,” Larkin said. “Like I said, it’s hard. You got (Nikita) Kucherov and (Brayden) Point out there. They’re roaming around, making world-class plays.”

At the other end of the spectrum, fourth-line center Joe Veleno played just 4:42.

“Veleno, just kind of ran into some matchup issues, some special teams, we used him late a couple times,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.

Late in the, winger Michael Rasmussen left the ice following a collision along the boards.

“Ras left with an upper body,” Lalonde said. “Don’t know much more about it.”