DETROIT — Lucas Raymond was struggling to catch his breath at the same time he was breathing life into the Detroit Red Wings’ playoff hopes Monday night

Raymond and Dylan Larkin had been on the ice for most of overtime when Larkin broke out with the puck on his stick.

“Just saw Larks up ice. I thought he was going for a breakaway first but he was probably pretty tired,” Raymond said. “Then I just tried to jump up. I was pretty tired, too. Then I just tried to get off a shot. Happy it went in.”

Raymond converted Larkin’s cross-ice feed at 4:35 of overtime for his 31st goal of the season to give Detroit a 5-4 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Raymond’s 30th goal — coming with 1:17 left in regulation — extended postseason hopes to at least Tuesday. If the Red Wings beat the Habs in the second game of a home-and-home in Montreal Tuesday and the Philadelphia Flyers defeat Washington, then Detroit qualifies for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

HOW WE FEELING, HOCKEYTOWN!!! pic.twitter.com/nJtxx80eFW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 16, 2024

“Yeah, it’s just like I drew it up,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said.

With the postseason on the line, Lalonde only used six players different players and his goalie in the OT.
.
“Yeah, it’s obviously not ideal how I only used the four forwards, only used the two D in overtime, but it’s that time of year,” Lalonde said. ” We had enough little rest in between where I was comfortable going back to Larks and Raymond. Thankfully, I did. Those guys found a way in the end.”

Raymond Growing Into Superstar

Larkin-Raymond heroics have become the story of the push for the playoffs. Larkin  scored the OT winner Saturday to make the Montreal games consequential. Raymond has been transforming from a potential star to dynamic force for the past two months. He has six goals in his past five games and 14 in his last 17.

“Just the growth of him,”” Lalonde said. You want these important games for many reasons down the stretch and a lot of it is for the growth of some of our youth and I give (Raymond) a ton of credit. He was one of those guys where it wasn’t going for him, to the bad end of some physical plays and didn’t get frustrated, hung in there, battled. Obviously, two big goals in the end.”

On the tying goal, Raymond gained possession during a goalmouth scramble, and held the puck long enough to figure out where he needed to shoot.

“Poise,” Lalonde said. “I think that’s growth, that’s who he is. Just impressive. Unfortunately, we got chasing it there. We were pretty much down to nine forwards down the stretch. We got a little lucky with some timeouts and some octopi in the ice to get some breathers. Assist to the fanbase there, good feel on what we needed for energy. But we were able to get through it and have enough in the end so credit to the guys.”

Raymond, 22, said the tying goal was part of a “crazy sequence.”

“The puck was bouncing all over the place,” Raymond said. “It felt like a lot of sticks flying everywhere and then I got it and it was kind of wide open. It felt good.”

The post Raymond Shows With Playoff Push His Transfomation Has No Limits appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It’s fitting that this is the 72nd anniversary of the start of the Detroit Red Wings’ tradition of throwing of octopi on the ice at playoff time.

Brothers Jerry and Pete Cusimano worked at the family fish market at Detroit’s Eastern Market. They came up with the thought that the eight tentacles of an octopus could represent the eight wins a team needed to win the Stanley Cup in that era.  On April 15, 1952, after Detroit downed the Montreal Canadiens 3-0 to complete a four-game sweep in the Stanley Cup Final, the Cusimano brothers hurled an octopus onto the ice at Olympia Stadium. The Red Wings went 8-0 in that postseason. The Octopus tradition was born.

Over time, the tradition evolved to the point that fans were pitching multiple octopi over the glass after every Detroit goal in the playoffs. Because it was a safety issue and a significant disruption in the game, the NHL finally dictated the tradition had to be curtailed, although the Red Wings do tolerate the throwing of one octopus per game at playoff time.

The anniversary is relevant because the Red Wings play the Montreal Canadiens today at Little Caesars Arena in a game that feels like a playoff game. Detroit’s team has been in playoff mode for a few weeks. We’ve seen octopi thrown.

Postseason Drought

To qualify for the postseason for the first time in eight years, the Red Wings probably need to beat the Habs tonight in Detroit and Tuesday in Montreal. Even then, they could need help. What we know for sure is if Detroit and Pittsburgh lose in regulation tonight, they are eliminated.

“It’s about that first period at home on Monday night, getting a good start,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “Our starts have been good of late. Stay composed, narrow our focus and that narrow focus will be our first period.”

You can bet an octopus will fly over the glass tonight.

72 years ago today ON THIS DAY in hockey history (April 15, 1952):

The @DetroitRedWings beat the Canadiens 3-0 in Game #4 of the 1952 Stanley Cup Final to win the Stanley Cup, going undefeated (8-0) in the process. Brothers Jerry and Pete Cusimano toss the first Octopus too! pic.twitter.com/ZasPreqvMK

— Vintage Hockey Showcase (@hockey_vintage) April 15, 2024

Game Time

Monday: Montreal at Detroit

Where: Little Caesars Arena

TV/RADIO: Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Canadiens Preview

Dynamic rookie defenseman Lane Hutson could make his debut for Montreal in tonight’s game. The slick puck mover has played for Boston University the last two seasons. Hutson posted 48 points as a freshman and 49 as a sophomore. He participated in the morning skate today…Montreal has lost five of its last seven, but did earn a point in two of the losses…The Habs rank 27th in scoring (2.8 goals per game) and 26th in goals-against average (3.40)… Montreal’s top line is Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky. Young Slafkovsky had a hat trick last week against Philadelphia.

Red Wings Preview

Lalonde is going with Alex Lyon in net. James Reimer is 7-2 in his last nine decisions. That includes a 5-4 overtime win against Toronto Saturday. Lyon has been the team’s No.1 ..Forwards Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) and Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) are injured. Copp did skate this morning with a full shield and he will decide after the morning skate with he can play. Copp has missed the past two games and Rasmussen has been sidelined since April 1…The Red Wings have given up 10 goals and scored 10 goals in their past two games…Lucas Raymond has generated four goals and four assists over his past four games. …Alex DeBrincat has two goals and three assists for five points in his past two games. DeBrincat will play against with Dylan Larkin and Raymond. J.T. Compher will center David Perron and Patrick Kane. The Red Wings are ninth in the NHL with a power play efficiency of 23.2%. The Canadiens rank 23rd on the penalty kill at 76.4%

DYLAN LARKIN GETS THE OVERTIME WINNER FOR THE 2PTS TO KEEP THE PLAYOFF DREAMS ALIVE!!

WINGS WIN 5-4#LGRW #RedWings pic.twitter.com/YMupHzSzqG

— Hockeytown Rundown (@HockeytownRD) April 14, 2024

The post Canadiens vs. Red Wings: Lines, Notes & How to Watch appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Plenty to ponder this morning as the Detroit Red Wings prepare to put their season on the line tonight at home against the Montreal Canadiens.

Moneypuck.com gives Detroit a 33.8% probability of earning the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. To accomplish that, the Red Wings likely would have to beat Montreal tonight in Detroit and again Tuesday in Montreal.  Bob Duff has a story detailing why that path isn’t as easy as some analysts seem to believe it is.

Duff wrote another piece looking at the decision coach Derek Lalonde has about who to start in goal tonight against the Habs. Lyon has been the team’s No. 1 goalie, but Reimer battled and delivered a critical win against Toronto.

Do you start Reimer tonight and Lyon Tuesday? Or, do you start Lyon tonight? Reimer is 7-2 in his last nine decision. Duff’s story looks into whether the Red Wings have a goalie controversy at this late hour.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• A Detroit prospect has won a second NCAA championship. Tim Robinson has the details.
• Captain Dylan Larkin delivered the goal that saved Detroit’s season. The overtime tally against Toronto gives Detroit a reasonable chance of qualifying.
• Bob Duff explains the scenarios that land the Detroit Red Wings in a playoff spot for the first time since 2016.
• Paywall story: Tim Robinson wrote about prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka’s impressive season, noting that the young defenseman wouldn’t even be in the sport if his grandfather hadn’t intervened when he was young.  To subscribe, click here.Use the promo code kevin10 to get $10 off the yearly subscription price.

Red Wings Next Game

The Red Wings finish the season with a home-and-home series against the Montreal Canadiens. Tonight’s game is in Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m.). From a practical standpoint, Detroit must win both games and hope the Washington Capitals don’t earn four points. Washington, Philadelphia an Detroit are tied. Washington has the tiebreaker and Philadelphia only has one game left. If the Red Wings win both games, the Penguins are also not a factor.

Hockey Now Network

Chicago: The Chicago Blackhawks‘ fourth consecutive loss assures they will have the NHL’s second-best draft odds at 13.5%. The San Jose Sharks will have the best odds at 25%.

Colorado: What’s wrong with the Colorado Avalanche? They blow a 3-0 third period lead and fall to the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime.

Florida: Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson finds himself in a much better place than he was a year go. The move to the Florida Panthers has reinvigorated his career.

Montreal: Marc Dumont tells us what to expect for recently-signed prospect defenseman Lane Hutson. He can be a difference-maker for the Montreal Canadiens.

Philadelphia: In a paywall story, Jonathan Bailey writes that Travis Konecny’s shorthanded goal may have saved the Philadelphia Flyers‘ season.

Pittsburgh:  The Pittsburgh Penguins don’t have time to analyze what happened Saturday night. Their focus now has to be on winning their last two games.

The post The Daily: Red Wings Chances, ‘Hawks Odds, Lyon or Reimer? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings fans have two games to worry about on Monday. If the Red Wings take care of their business Monday and beat the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena, they still need the Bruins to beat Washington to move into the second Eastern Conference wildcard spot. Detroit has another game in Montreal on Tuesday. Detroit has beaten Montreal once in overtime and lost once in OT in two meetings this season.

The Monday scenario is only possible because the Red Wings rose up Saturday to pull off a 5-4 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bob Duff offered a good read on the victory, which included Detroit building, and then losing, a three-goal lead.

Duff called the game the “Cliff Notes” of the Detroit season.

“The resilience that this club continues to display once again rose to the fore to save the day . . . and the season, for that matter,” Duff wrote.

Dylan Larkin scored in OT for what may be the biggest goal of his career.

“You can’t feel any better,” Larkin said. “I knew Kaner was gonna look for that play. Just had to have my stick on the ice and he was gonna hit it. I didn’t even see it go in but I just saw Kaner. All the big moments he’s had in his his career, to see how excited he was, see all the boys rush over. Man, what a feeling.”

The Red Wings continued to play without injured Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp. They are key players for Detroit’s penalty killing and checking strategy. Copp has a broken cheekbone and Rasmussen’s injury has been called an upper body issue. The Red Wings have the day off today, meaning there will be no update until Monday morning.

DYLAN LARKIN Potentially season saving goal. Unbelievable. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/LlS6lpGpDU

— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) April 14, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Defenseman Shai Buium, a Red Wings second-round draft pick, earned his second NCAA title playing with Denver. Two years, he was on the team with Detroit prospects Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto.
• Why the NHL tiebreakers work against coach Derek Lalonde’s Detroit squad.
• Ville Husso tried to play a game with the Grand Rapids Griffins as a step toward returning to the Red Wings’ lineup. But he had a setback in the pregame warmup and didn’t play.
• Paywall story: Tim Robinson wrote about Axel Sandin Pellikka’s impressive season, noting that he wouldn’t even be in the sport if his grandfather hadn’t intervened when he was young.  To subscribe, click here.Use the promo code kevin10 to get $10 off the yearly subscription price.

Red Wings Next Game

The Red Wings are tied with the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Each team has 87 points. Both the Capitals and Flyers have a tiebreaker advantage (regulation wins) over Detroit. The Flyers have one game remaining, while Detroit and Washington have two. What it means: If the Red Wings win both of their remaining games against the Montreal Canadiens, they still need help. To qualify for the playoffs in that scenario, the Red Wings still would need the Capitals to earn three or fewer points in their two remaining games.

Hockey Now Network

Colorado: Defenseman Sean Behrens (drafted 61st overall in 2021) is on the Denver team that just won their second NCAA tournament in three years. He has 31 points in 44 games. Will the Colorado Avalanche sign him? Evan Rawal has the story.

Chicago: The Chicago Blackhawks signed creative college forward Frank Nazar out of Michigan. It’s possible he will get a game or games with the Blackhawks. Nazar had 41 points in 41 games with the Wolverines.

Florida: Sam Reinhart scored in overtime to give Sergei Bobrovsky the win his 700th career NHL game in goal. The Florida Panthers are now guaranteed home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Nashville: Nobody should overlook the Nashville Predators as a playoff threat. They have learned much during this journey to the post season.

Pittsburgh: Why did the Pittsburgh Penguins pull former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in the loss to the Boston Bruins. Dan Kingerski has the story.

San Jose: The San Jose Sharks‘ 6-2 loss to the Minnesota assures them the best draft lottery odds for the hope of drafting Macklin Celebrin.

The post The Daily: Red Wings Need Help From Bruins; Penguins Pull Ned appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings fans will be tuning into tonight’s game with Toronto to see if their team can keep their playoff hopes alive. But they could end up seeing Auston Matthews accomplish an NHL feat that hasn’t been seen in 31 years.

Matthews needs two goals to become the NHL’s first 70-goal scorer since the 1992-93 season when Teemu Selanne (Winnipeg) and Alexander Mogilny (Buffalo) both scored 76 goals. Mogilny did it in 77 games and Selanne, then a rookie, played all 84 of his team’s games.

Matthews owns a seven-game scoring streak during which he has scored nine goals to get to 68. The Maple Leafs are motivated to help him to arrive at 70 in this game because they want to rest some of the Toronto veterans in their final two games before the playoffs begin. A motivated Toronto squad is not good news for the Red Wings who need to win this game to have a fair chance to qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

The Red Wings have severely damaged their odds by losing 2-1 to Washington on Tuesday and falling 6-5 in overtime to Pittsburgh this week.

Leafs Auston Matthews scores his 68th goal of the season.

He's now on pace to record the 15th 70-goal season in NHL history pic.twitter.com/ej7mnSREGS

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 12, 2024

Game Time

Thursday: Detroit at Toronto

Where: Scotiabank Arena

TV/RADIO: Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Maple Leafs Preview

Max Domi missed yesterday’s practice, but he did participate in this morning’s optional skate. He’s officially day to day. Defenseman Timothy Liljegren (upper body) is expected to play today…Matthews has 18 multiple-goal games this season, including six hat tricks… Earlier this season, goalie Ilya Samsonov was struggling to the point that the Maple Leafs sent him to the minors. He cleared waivers to arrive there. Samsonov worked on his game, came back to the team, and he’s 18-4-1 in his last 23 decisions…The Maple Leafs are lined up to play the Florida Panthers in the first round. But the Panthers are only one point behind the Boston Bruins for the No. 1 spot in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins do have a game in hand.

Red Wings Preview

The Red Wings are going with James Reimer in net. Reimer has won three of his last four starts and he beat Toronto Jan. 14, giving up only two goals on 30 shots. . .  Other than in net, same lineup as last game. Forwards Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) and Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) are still out…Alex DeBrincat has scored one goal in his past 20 games…Lucas Raymond has five goals and three assists for eight points in his past five games.

The post Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs: Lines, Notes & How to Watch appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Moneypuck.com says the Detroit Red Wings only have a 16.8% chance of earning a playoff spot. DHN’s Bob Duff explains how difficult it really is for Detroit to earn the playoff spot.

“The Detroit Red Wings aren’t out of the race for the NHL’s second Eastern Conference wild card playoff spot,” Duff writes. “At the same time, to gain that position, they are going to need help.”

Lots of help.

Because Auston Matthews has a shot at scoring 70 goals, the Red Wings face a very motivated Toronto Maple Leafs team tonight. The Red Wings’ last two games are against the Montreal Canadiens. Over the past 10 games, the Habs (5-4-1) own a better record than Detroit (3-4-3).

The Penguins have a more challenging schedule: Boston, Nashville and the New York Islanders. But former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, currently playing every game for Pittsburgh, is 8-0-3 in his last 11 starts.

To make matters worse, Duff explains in his NHL tiebreaker story, the first tiebreaker is regulation wins. Pittsburgh (31), Washington (29) and Philadelphia (29) all have more regulation wins than Detroit (27)

The race for the last wild card spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference is intriguing. pic.twitter.com/w91ywGe2Rz

— RepublicanDore (@RepublicanDore) April 12, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Ville Husso took the warmup for the Grand Rapids Griffins, but then didn’t play. No other information has been provided. He is supposed to be on a conditioning stay with the AHL team.
• Detroit prospect Shai Buium has a chance tonight to win his second NCAA championship with Denver. Detroit drafted him in the second round three years ago.
• Paywall story: Bob Duff explains how the Red Wings players have to keep their emotions in check during this campaign to qualify for the playoffs.  To subscribe, click here. To get $10 off the yearly subscription, use the promo code bob10.

Red Wings Next Game

Detroit is on the road to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. Toronto superstar Auston Matthews boasts 68 goals and his teammates will be trying to help him reach the 70-goal mark. The Red Wings need a win to sustain their hope of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Bruins GM Don Sweeney has been named Canada’s GM for the 2025 Four Nations Tournament and as the assistant GM for the 2026 Canadian Olympic hockey squad. Boston Bruins .

Colorado: Injured Mikko Rantanen is probable for tonight’s Colorado Avalanche game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Montreal: The Montreal Canadiens have signed dynamic Boston University defenseman Lane Hutson to an entry level contract. He has the potential to be an impact offensive defenseman.

Nashville: The Nashville Predators recalled veteran goalie Troy Grosenick from Milwaukee because they want to rest Juuse Saros before the NHL playoffs.

Philadelphia:  Flyers president Keith Jones weighed in on coach John Tortorella and the Philadelphia Flyers collapse.

Pittsburgh: With former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic pushing Tristan Jarry aside, future decisions loom for Pittsburgh Penguins management.

The post The Daily: Red Wings’ Road Ahead Bumpy; Is Ned Pens’ No. 1? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Red Wings prospect Shai Buium is a junior at the University of Denver, but has the equivalent of a master’s degree in winning college hockey.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman played a strong game Thursday to help Denver down Boston University 2-1 in overtime at the Frozen Four to earn a spot in the NCAA championship game against Boston College. That game will be played Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Michigan, with Detroit prospect Kienan Draper, lost to Boston College in the semifinal.

San Diego native Buium was a member of the Denver team that won the 2022 NCAA championship. That team also included Detroit prospects Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto who are currently playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins.  In Buium’s three seasons at Denver, the school’s cumulative record is 92-28-4.

This has been Buium’s best season at Denver: he posted seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points for Denver’s high powered offense.  Buium (drafted 36th overall by Detroit in 2021) was also second on the team with a plus-32 plus-minus

"We're gonna go win this thing"

After their thrilling Overtime win, Shai Buium of @DU_Hockey is as confident as can be for the NCAA title game #9sports pic.twitter.com/PDSKQgfpmg

— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) April 12, 2024

Buium Impressive vs. BU

A strong skater, Buium was a force defensively for the Pioneers in the win against Boston University. He was plus-2 in the semifinal with one shot on goal.

Buium’s younger brother Zeev also plays for Denver. He is a Luke Hughes-style, puck carrying defenseman who is projected to land in the middle of the first round. Bob McKenzie ranked him 13th in his TSN mid-season rankings. Craig Button, also of TSN, has him fourth. Zeev Buium is also fourth among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting rankings. Sportsnet has Zeev ranked 20th.

According to tankathon.com, the Red Wings this morning have a 94.7% of picking  14th in the June draft.  The Red Wings do seem to have more prospects on defense than forward.

The post Red Wings Boast One Prospect in NCAA Championship Game appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It will be reminiscent of the Original Six Days when the Detroit Red Wings go into Toronto for an important Saturday Hockey Night in Canada game against the Maple Leafs.

After falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 Thursday, the Red Wings need to upset the Maple Leafs to keep their postseason hopes alive. Moneypuck.com pegs Detroit’s playoff probability at 15.8%. The Penguins now have a one-point lead in the scrap for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins probably didn’t deserve the two points,” Dan Kingerski wrote for Pittsburgh Hockey Now. “Although they were outplayed for significant parts of the game, they never left the battle.”

The Penguins have points in 10 consecutive games and Sidney Crosby has been the primary reason. He set up Thursday’s winning overtime goal with his 1,000th career assist.

“If it’s one thing he’s done throughout his career, it’s delivering when you need it the most,” Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson said. “And today was nothing different than that.”

Lucas Raymond was another who raised his game Thursday, delivering a three-goal, four-point performance. He played with intensity and fire.

“I think the way Lucas played tonight was, if you’re looking at a step in his career, then that’s a performance that I’m very impressed by,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “I think that was a good statement to the hockey world.”

LUCAS RAYMOND HATTY. pic.twitter.com/jgb135aQCv

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 12, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• The Red Wings will know more today about Andrew Copp‘s status. He suffered a broken cheekbone in Tuesday’s loss to Washington.
• Alex DeBrincat totaled three assists in the loss to Pittsburgh. But only has one goal in his past 20 games. The Red Wings need him to score.
• Paywall story: Bob Duff writes about Red Wings players are trying to keep their emotions in check while they are battling to make the playoffs.
• Patrick Kane talked about his future, but he didn’t reveal which way he is leaning. He didn’t say he was leaving or staying.

Red Wings Next Game

Detroit’s next game is Saturday against a motivated Toronto Maple Leafs team.  Toronto is securely in third place in the Atlantic Division. Winning or losing won’t impact their playoff match-up. But Auston Matthews now has 68 goals and Matthews and his Toronto teammates seem determined to make sure he reaches 70 goals over their next three games. The Red Wings, needing a win to keep playoff hopes alive, and the Maple Leafs have something to play for.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: If the Detroit Red Wings can’t re-sign Patrick Kane, will the Boston Bruins pursue him in the free agent market? Jimmy Murphy points out the Bruins have the cap space.

Colorado: Ewan Rawal writes that it is Alexander Georgiev or bust in goal for the Colorado Avalanche. There is no goaltender controversy in Denver.

Florida: In the NHLPA player poll, Sasha Barkov was selected as the second-most complete player behind Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby.

Montreal: With Boston University eliminated from the Frozen Four by Denver, Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson could sign an NHL contract. Marc Dumont looks at the possibility. Hutson is an elite puck-carrying defenseman.

New Jersey: Last season’s Timo Meier trade is now complete, now that the New Jersey Devils are eliminated from playoff consideration. The 2024 conditional second round pick the Devils included in the deal with San Jose will remain a second-round pick. The pick would have become a first-round pick if New Jersey had reached the Eastern Conference Final in the postseason.

Philadelphia: Believe it or not, the Philadelphia Flyers have playoff hope after an unexpected win against the New York Rangers. The Flyers’ probability percentage is 16.8%.

The post The Daily: Red Wings’ Playoff Odds at 15.8%; Patrick Kane’s Future appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

In 2009, Sidney Crosby was leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to prevent the Detroit Red Wings from winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Fifteen years later, Crosby is still leading the Penguins and hurting the Red Wings.

Crosby used his 1,000th career assist to set-up Erik Karlsson for an overtime game-winner in the Penguins’ 6-5 win against the Red Wings.

The Red Wings needed two points, and earned one.

ERIK KARLSSON KEEPS PITTSBURGH'S PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE!

His @Energizer OT winner gives the @penguins a HUGE two points! pic.twitter.com/bkbOGheTwg

— NHL (@NHL) April 12, 2024

“Emotions are . . . it’s unlike anything,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “It’s playoff mode. You win one, you’re on top of the world. You lose one and you’re rock bottom. That’s just the way it goes.”

The win gives the Penguins 86 points and a one-point lead over the Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. The Penguins, Red Wings and Capitals have three games remaining, while the Flyers have two. The Penguins are trying to become the first team in NHL history to come from nine points back in the last 11 games to qualify for the playoffs.

The Red Wings erased a 5-3 third-period deficit to send the game  to OT.  Dylan Larkin, set up by Lucas Raymond, scored at 12:56 to make it a 5-4 game. Less than two minutes later, Raymond completed his second career hat trick to tie the game. Raymond had a spectacular night in perhaps his franchise’s biggest game in the last decade.

“I think the way Lucas played tonight was, if you’re looking at a step in his career, then that’s a performance that I’m very impressed by,” Larkin said. “I think that was a good statement to the hockey world.”

Big Night for Top Line

On the positive side, the Red Wings top line produced four goals and 10 points — Raymond had four and Larkin and Alex DeBrincat three points each– and the team was resilient in finding a way to secure a point. On the negative side, too many turnovers,  mistakes at inopportune times and Alex Lyon couldn’t come up with big saves when they were needed. Lyon had a .778 save percentage in this game.

They needed a big save from Lyon on the Jeff Carter shorthanded goal or the Karlsson blast from the high slot.

In the third period, the Red Wings trailed 4-3 and had a power play. They don’t score, and a turnover at the blue line led to a shorthanded goal by Carter to give Pittsburgh a 5-3 lead. Coach Derek Lalonde called that goal “self-inflicted” because it started with a turnover by Daniel Sprong at the blue line.

With the Washington Capitals also losing, the Red Wings still have a chance. According to Moneypuck.com, the Red Wings now have a 15.8% chance of making the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The Penguins’ playoff odds are now at 57.8%.

“I told the guys — that was a huge point,” Lalonde said. “I know it doesn’t feel very good right now, but the path is still there and we kept it alive.”

Detroit plays at Toronto Saturday. If the Red Wings win that game, who knows what the standings will look like. None of the teams competing for this playoff spot is taking complete charge of the race.

“We weren’t as clean tonight,” Lalonde said. “We got a point but our best hockey game was our last game out. I think we got away from some things from that game. We turned more pucks over tonight, we gave up some easy offense. There were some things we’ll need to improve on to give ourselves a chance Saturday.”

The post Red Wings’ Rally Isn’t Enough In Pivotal Game vs. Penguins appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

A friend will be among the foes tonight when the Detroit Red Wings battle for their playoff lives tonight on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Former Detroit goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has taken over the starting goaltender’s role with the Penguins.

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now writes that Nedeljkovic has made nine consecutive starts, and likely will make a 10th tonight against the Red Wings. Nedeljkovic was popular with his teammates when he played for Detroit. The Penguins are 6-0-3 in their last nine games.

“Can Nedeljkovic Continue to Withstand Stresses of His Job?,” Kingerski asks in a paywall story.

Nedeljkovic owns a .913 save percentage in those nine games. He has given up three or more goals, with a save percentage under .900, in five of those nine games.  He did beat the Red Wings 6-3 on March 16 when the two teams squared off in Pittsburgh

Alex Lyon will start in net for Detroit.  He has given up two or fewer goals in four of his last five starts.

Huge game tonight between the Red Wings and Penguins.
PIT: regulation win and playoff odds are 61%. Regulation loss, 17%.
DET: regulation win and playoff odds are 48%. Regulation loss, 8%.
Via @Sportlogiq pic.twitter.com/DoEwxBAPQl

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) April 11, 2024

Coyotes Finally Relocating?

The NHL seems to be finally giving up on the idea that the Arizona Coyotes will get a new arena built any time soon. The NHL reportedly is working to get the franchise relocated to Utah although nothing is finalized.

From an agent this morning: The reason this wouldn’t just bother the Coyotes players is that there are those who have some form of limited trade protection who don’t list Arizona on a no-trade list but might have included Salt Lake City. https://t.co/GJZE3SWHaT

— Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) April 11, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• What are the chances that Patrick Kane will return to the Red Wings? Bob Duff tells the story.
• Former Penguins player Zach Aston-Reese will play for Detroit against the Penguins tonight.
• Veteran mistakes by Detroit players cost the Red Wings in their loss to the Capitals.

Red  Wings Next Game

The Red Wings’ playoff hopes are wrapped up in tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Red Wings probably can’t qualify for the playoffs if they don’t defeat the Penguins. The last time they played the Penguins in Pittsburgh (March 17) they lost 6-3.

Hockey Now Network

Boston:  Would a strict goalie rotation give the Boston Bruins an edge in the postseason? Jimmy Murphy weighs in.

Chicago: Landon Slaggert scores his first NHL goal for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Florida: Goalie Anthony Stolarz will have several suitors when he becomes a UFA this summer, but he hopes to stay with the Florida Panthers.

Montreal: Marc Dumont writes about the three members of the Montreal Canadiens who have something to prove over the final three games.

Philadelphia: John Tortorella is staying behind the Philadelphia Flyers‘ bench.  Rumor quashed.

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