Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde is describing Tuesday’s regular-season finale at Montreal against the Canadiens as nothing more than a business trip.

“I know they’re excited but this is a business trip from this moment on,” Lalonde was saying shortly after Detroit was rallying for a 5-4 overtime win over the Canadiens on Monday. “I know the emotions are high.

“We got to channel it. It wasn’t a lot of rah, rah, it was turn the page.”

THE RED WINGS TIE IT UP WITH 1:17 TO PLAY!

Their #StanleyCup Playoffs hopes are still alive. pic.twitter.com/ZsaiJ5M5Kg

— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2024

With Washington and Pittsburgh both winning on Monday, the standings remain unchanged in the battle for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Washington and Detroit are are 89 points, Pittsburgh is at 88 and Philadelphia, idle on Monday, is at 87 points. The Capitals are holding the tiebreaker with more regulation wins than the Red Wings. Washington plays Tuesday at Philadelphia.

Red Wings Still Need Help

“We didn’t get the help we hoped for around the league,” Lalonde said.  “Here we are, going into the season, no one had us in the playoffs. Most had us seventh in the division.

“If you would have told us you have one game, Game 82 on the road, to improve 11 points on your previous season, to have a chance to make the playoffs, every single one of us would have signed up for it.

Rafael Harvey-Pinard can flat-out fly.

: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/FmPv8M6v1l pic.twitter.com/3SLHrWaZSf

— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2024

“It’s here for now. It’s going to be a challenge for us. They’re a really good team. Very aggressive offensively. They take a lot of pride on their home ice. It’s their fan appreciation night. We need to turn the page and give ourselves an opportunity.”

Game Time

Monday: Detroit at Montreal

Where: Bell Centre

TV/RADIO: Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Canadiens Preview

Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collected an assist in his NHL debut Monday . . . Including regular-season and playoff meetings, this will be the 670th game between Montreal and Detroit . . . The Canadiens are 5-13-8 in games facing Atlantic Division opposition . . . Monday’s 5-4 OT loss to Detroit was just the fourth time all season that Montreal failed to win when leading after two periods (25-0-4) . . . With two goals Monday, Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher surpassed Shayne Corson (431 points), moving in 31at on Montreal’s all-time points list . . . Forward Cole Caufield has seven goals in his last eight games.

Red Wings Preview

Lalonde is going with James Reimer in net. Reimer is 7-2 in his last nine decisions. That includes a 5-4 overtime win against Toronto Saturday . . . Forward Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) played Monday wearing a full facemask . . . Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) remains out. Rasmussen has been sidelined since April 1 . . . The Red Wings have given up 14 goals and scored 15 goals in their past three games . . . Lucas Raymond has scored six goals in his past five games, reaching the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career . . . Alex DeBrincat has three goals and four assists over his past three games.

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

Honestly, if the Detroit Red Wings are going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, were you actually thinking they’d be doing so any other way than the path they are choosing?

That would be the hard way.

They’re proven time and again this season that it’s the only way they know how to do things. And somehow, some way, they keep on finding a method to make it work.

They did so again on Monday at Little Caesars Arena. Needing at minimum a point to maintain their pursuit of a postseason position, the Red Wings were trailing the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 late in the second period.

When all was said and done, however, it was Detroit that would ultimately prevail, by a 5-4 count in overtime.

It was the third straight OT game for the Red Wings. As well, it was the 13th time this season they’ve been able to rally from a third-period deficit to claim victory.

Red Wings Keep Stayin’ Alive

No one can question this team’s competiveness.

Their defensive acumen, their ability to start on time? Yeah, go ahead and question that all day long.

However, this team possesses an inate ability to keep on fighting and find a way to overcome their own shortcomings.

Red Wings center J.T. Compher described it as a combination of desperation and belief.

“The biggest thing is we still believed in each other and the group,” Compher said. “We never gave up.

LUCAS RAYMOND, TWICE IS SO NICE!

After netting the tying goal, Lucas Raymond secures a MASSIVE two points for the @DetroitRedWings with the @Energizer overtime winner to keep them in the #StanleyCup Playoffs Wild Card race! pic.twitter.com/mFWrq5YdnZ

— NHL (@NHL) April 16, 2024

“Down three goals, we’ve come back. I don’t know what the number is, but Newsy (coach Derek Lalonde) said it after the second intermission that we’ve done it a lot this year.

“When you do things consistently, that’s what causes the belief that we can get back into the game and get the two points we needed.”

Red Wings Don Rally Caps Yet Again

Consider Detroit’s last three games as Exhibits A, B and C in this belief system. Down 5-3 at Pittsburgh on Thursday with 6:51 left in regulation, the Red Wings would score twice to force overtime. They got a point from a 6-5 setback.

Saturday at Toronto, they would squander a 4-1 first period lead, but win 5-4 in OT. Monday, it was once more time again for the Wings to don their rally caps.

DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' #LGRW pic.twitter.com/cgqWcLcnv7

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

Compher’s second goal of the game at 15:59 of the second frame would narrow the deficit to 4-2. Alex DeBrincat scored midway through the third period. Then with the goalie pulled, Lucas Raymond would tie the score at 18:43. Raymond’s goal at 4:25 of OT was the decider.

Living To Fight Another Day

It’s still an uphill battle for Detroit, but the Red Wings remain in with a chance. Washington is holding the final Eastern Conference wild card with 89 points. That’s the same total as the Wings. However, the Capitals win the tiebreaker with Detroit, which is regulation wins.

Detroit must win Tuesday at Montreal and hope that Washington gets no more than one point at Philadelphia. That’s the easier path to the playoffs for the Wings.

Should they get one point at Montreal, the Red Wings would need Washington to lose in regulation at Philly and Pittsburgh to get no more than one point in the club’s regular-season finale on Wednesday against the New York Islanders.

Detroit loses every playoff tiebreaker, so the Wings must finish ahead in points to make the playoffs.

“We know what we need to do,” Compher said. All (Monday) did was give us an opportunity to finish the job (Tuesday).

“We’ll control what we can control, which is our game. But all we did was give ourselves a chance to finish the job (Tuesday).”

The post Red Wings Remarkable Comeback Win; Keep Doing Things The Hard Way appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Captain Dylan Larkin succinctly summed up what the Detroit Red Wings require from their remaining two games on the schedule.

“We need four (points),” Larkin said.

Yes they do. And yet, it still might not be enough to get them to the promised land of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Currently, Detroit, Washington and Philadelphia are all deadlocked with 87 points. Pittsburgh is a point back as all four clubs duel for the second wild card spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. The Penguins, Capitals and Red Wings all have two games to play. For the Flyers, there’s only one game left to go.

Here’s a look at the various methods through which Detroit can end up in the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Red Wings Playoff Scenarios

Were the Red Wings to win both of their remaining games, they’ll finish with 91 points. If that happens, then:

• Washington must lose one of its two remaining games in any fashion and finish with no more than 90 points.
• In this scenario, it wouldn’t matter what Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the New York Islanders (89 points, currently third in the Metropolitan Division) do.

If Red Wings and Washington both win their final two games, Detroit would need the Islanders to gain no more than one point in their final two games. In this scenario, the Capitals would finish third in the Metropolitan Division with 91 points. That would be earning Washington the tiebreaker over the Islanders based on more regulation wins.

After their win last night, the @Capitals have slid into the second Wild Card spot in the East!

Watch the #StanleyCup Playoffs on @espn and @NHL_On_TNT starting April 20th.

Bracket Challenge presented by @betwayusa pic.twitter.com/2PKl36KEfQ

— NHL (@NHL) April 14, 2024

The Red Wings would earn the wild card spot with 91 points, winning the tiebreaker with the Islanders either due to more regulation wins or more regulation/overtime wins. It wouldn’t matter what Pittsburgh and Philadelphia do.

Three Points Wouldn’t Necessarily Finish Detroit

If the Red Wings gain three of a possible four points, they would still have two pathways to the playoffs:

They would need Washington to gain no more than two points in its final two games and for Pittsburgh to lose one of its two games in any fashion. In this scenario, Detroit would have 90 points, and Washington, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia a maximum of 89.

An ELECTRIC win for the @DetroitRedWings last night moves them one spot closer to the playoffs@MoneyPuckdotcom playoffs odds:@Capitals: 34.7%#RedWings: 26.2%@NHLFlyers: 22.4%@penguins: 20.6%#LGRW pic.twitter.com/la31fuPXA4

— Gamble Online Michigan (@GambleonlineMI) April 14, 2024

Or:

They would need the Islanders to lose both of their remaining games in regulation and Pittsburgh to lose in regulation to Nashville. Washington, with 90 points, would finish third in the Metropolitan Division by owning the tiebreaker with the Islanders (more regulation wins). The Red Wings, with 90 points, also would own the tiebreaker with the Islanders based on either more regulation wins or more regulation/overtime wins.

Two Points Won’t Do It

There is no scenario through which the Red Wings can reach the playoffs by gaining only two points to finish with 89. That’s because Washington plays Philadelphia on Tuesday.

This gurantees that one of those clubs is assured of having 89 points. Both own the tiebreaker with Detroit.

The post Here’s How The Red Wings Make The Playoffs appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

People will tell you that on paper, the Detroit Red Wings are left with the easiest slate of games among the four teams competing for the second Eastern Conference wild card spot in the NHL playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings will quickly be reminding everyone that NHL games are decided on the ice, not on paper.

“We’ve got Montreal and that’s dangerous the way they’ve been going,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was quick to point out.

"We need to show up and have our foot on the gas. That’s been the attitude.”

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 14, 2024

Out of the postseason picture, the Montreal Canadiens are merely playing spoiler down the stretch. And they’ve been doing plenty of spoiling.

Montreal is 5-4-2 over the past 11 games. By comparison, Detroit is 3-4-3 over the past 10 games. Washington is 3-5-2 and Philadelphia is 2-6-2. Two of those losses were dealt to the Flyers by the Canadiens.

Only Pittsburgh (7-1-2) can boast of a better run of late than the Canadiens among the four competitors for the eighth seed in the East.

Coucou c'est Cole

Cauf them off guard#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/AmLBiLpotL

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 14, 2024

The Wings know all about playing the spoiler. It’s been their role down the stretch over each of the past seven seasons. Playing free and clear of pressure is an entirely realm to the pressure-packed existence Detroit is currently living.

“We’ve been in that position that they’re in and it’s a whole different ballgame of what we’ve been playing, these playoff-style games,” Larkin said.

That element alone can make the Canadiens a very dangerous opponent.

Montreal Has Given Red Wings Fits

The two teams are meeting Monday at Little Caesars Arena, where the Canadiens have made themselves at home. Over the last 11 clashes at LCA between Detroit and Montreal, the Red Wings are 4-4-3. Detroit is 0-0-1 this season and 0-0-2 through the past two contests.

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde’s gameplan for his club on Monday is to ignore the big picture and think small.

“Play the right way,” Lalonde said. “We can’t look at it as two games. It’s about that first period at home on Monday night, getting a good start.

“Our starts have been good of late. Stay composed, narrow our focus and that narrow focus will be our first period.”

The Red Wings have actually been faring better at Montreal against the Canadiens. They won 5-4 in overtime there in December and are 3-0-0 through the past three games at the Bell Center. However, Detroit is just 5-6 in the last 11 games at Montreal.

Red Wings Need Four Points

It was Meat Loaf who warbled that two out of three ain’t bad. However, in the case of the Red Wings and their playoff hopes, three out of four is the bare minimum requirement for survival.

Washington, Detroit and Philadelphia all have 87 points, one better than Pittsburgh. But the Capitals and Flyers clash in the season finale for both clubs. That guarantees one of those teams will be finishing the season with no less than 89 points.

Since the Red Wings lose the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot, they’ll have to get to no fewer than 90 points to hold a chance of qualification.

“We need four (points),” Larkin was expressing.

That being said, even going four-for-four over the next two games might not be enough for the Wings. If Washington and Detroit both win out, the Capitals and Red Wings will each have 91 points. But the tiebreaker goes the way of the Caps.

Bottom line, Detroit does require two wins and some help. And the Red Wings shouldn’t be counting on the Canadiens being helpful to their cause.

The post Red Wings Facing Tough Test In Canadiens appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings are left with two must-win games remaining on the NHL schedule in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. And as they arrive are Game 81 of the campaign, they are still facing the same question they’ve been dealing with for much of this season.

They don’t know who their go-to goalie is.

Left with a home-and-home set against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday-Tuesday to close out the regular season, do the Red Wings stick with veteran James Reimer? He got the win on Saturday in Toronto in his 500th career NHL game, drawing rave reviews from the team.

Transforming into a member of the 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ NHL games played club.

Congratulations to @DetroitRedWings goaltender James Reimer! pic.twitter.com/lFtDnW8lFX

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 13, 2024

“The ultimate teammate,” was how captain Dylan Larkin was describing Reimer to Bally Sports Detroit. “He’s got the best attitude, coming to the rink with a smile.

“He gave a great speech after the game about how lucky he was to play one game, let alone 500.  It was a great locker room atmosphere after that game.”

Clearly, Reimer is giving the club a boost during his limited opportunities to work between the posts.

“He just battles,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “No matter what happens, we know we’re gonna get the most out of him and when he battles, I think it just lifts the group.”

He’s 7-2 over his last nine decisions. However, the 36-year-old puckstopper has been given successive starting assignments just once since late December.

Lyon Carrying Load For Red Wings

Since returning from injury in late December, journeyman veteran Alex Lyon, 31, has been seeing the bulk of duty between the pipes for Detroit. He’s been in the net in 36 of the last 45 games played by the Red Wings.

This season, Lyon has established career highs for games (43), wins (20) and shutouts (two).

“It speaks volumes for him as an individual, where he is in his career,” Lalonde said. “He’s a career minor leaguer. He was signed to be our starter in Grand Rapids and here he is giving us a chance this late in the season.

“It speaks really well on him.”

However, Lyon’s numbers of late aren’t tracking toward success. He’s 2-10-3 over his last 15 decisions. Granted, wins and losses by a team don’t rest solely on the shoulders of the netminder. Still, Reimer is coming off a big win. Will the Wings ride with him at home on Monday?

Husso Was Supposed To Be The Guy

At the outset of the season, Ville Husso was the de facto No. 1 goalie for Detroit. However, a pair of lower-body injuries have put him on the shelf for all but nine minutes of action since Dec. 18. Husso was to play a rehab assignment Friday with AHL Grand Rapids. However, he didn’t make it through the warmup. Lalonde indicated that Husso suffered a tweak to his injury.

@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf

— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024

That the Red Wings are contending for the playoffs without a true No. 1 goalie is a tribute to the work that Lyon and Reimer are delivering.

“There will be a lot to reflect back on this season,” Lalonde said. “For us to lose our starting goaltender and for us to be as competitive as we’ve been in that position speaks volumes on both those guys.

“They’ve been excellent for us.”

The post Do Red Wings Have Goalie Controversy? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

In a game that would amount to a Cliff’s Notes version of the Detroit Red Wings 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.

Captain Dylan Larkin’s redirect of a Patrick Kane shot in overtime gave the Red Wings a 5-4 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. It also kept the flame burning on the club’s flickering playoff hopes.

“It’s just a sample size of what we’ve been going through,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin told Bally Sports Detroit.

IT JUST HAD TO BE HIM! Captain @Dylanlarkin39 buries the overtime winner, and the Red Wings are still Stayin' Alive! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/cH0fOElmLm

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 14, 2024

With two games left to play in the regular season, the Red Wings, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers each sit with 87 points. Washington is holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference via tiebreaker. Pittsburgh, 6-4 losers at Boston, are at 86 points.

In fact, had the Red Wings fallen to the Leafs in regulation time on Saturday, they would’ve been eliminated from postseason contention. Detroit will finish the season with two against the Montreal Canadiens – at home Monday and on the road Tuesday.

Red Wings Squander Fast Start

Just like late February, when the Wings were leading the playoff chase by a vast gulf of eight points, the first period couldn’t have gone much better for Detroit. The team took a 4-1 lead to the dressing room after 20 minutes, Alex DeBrincat would score twice in the frame, just his second and third goals over the past 21 games. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson potted his first of the season.

Twice as nice! @Brinksy97 buries a rebound past Ilya Samsonov for his second goal of the 1st period! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/36PAbZq98n

— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 13, 2024

Then, much like the month of March when Detroit would endure an eight-game losing skid, the script was flipped. Netting three goals, Toronto would tie the game,

“I think in the second period we gave up a little too much, obviously,” DeBrincat said. “Didn’t play north enough and obviously it ended up in our net.

“Third period, we tried to get back to what we did in the first and thought we did a good job but obviously to win is huge for us.”

Red Wings Killers Come Up Huge

The Leafs would be given the chance to win it on a power play in the final moments of regulation time after Kane went off for high sticking. But they held firm against a Leafs power-play unit that had already counted twice in the game.

“I think I was on the ice for most of the penalty kill, so I was breathing through my eyes and just trying to gut it out,” Larkin said.

Then the story would do another 180. Toronto’s Max Domi went to the bin, setting the stage for Larkin’s OT winner.

Reimer A Winner In Milestone Game

Getting the start in what was his 500th NHL game, Detroit goalie James Reimer would make 32 saves to beat his first NHL team.

“We were happy to get it to the intermission with how the second period went,” Larkin said. “Our message was win a period, win a game.

“It ended up that it went a little bit extra but we got two points and Reims was a huge part of it in his 500th game. I can’t be happier for him.”

The post Red Wings Persevere, Live to Fight Another Day appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The old saying is that a tie is like kissing your sister but if it comes to NHL postseason tiebreaking scenarios, the Detroit Red Wings might as well kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

Looking though the tiebreaking situations the league would employ to break any deadlocks between two or more teams, the Red Wings come out on the short end of the equation.

It's a VERY tight race for the final #StanleyCup Playoffs spots in the East.

Which teams will make it in? pic.twitter.com/iHQEQ0fdhL

— NHL (@NHL) April 12, 2024

Currently, the Pittsburgh Penguins are sitting in the cat bird’s seat for the final Eastern Conference wild card with 86 points. Detroit, the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers all have 85 points.

All four teams are in action on Saturday. Detroit is playing at the Toronto Maple Leafs. Every team save the Flyers show three games remaining on their schedules. Philadelphia is left with just two games to play.

“There’s a path,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “It’s going to be difficult but I know this group has it in us.”

Yes, there is a path to the playoffs for the Red Wings. But it’s going to be a bumpy road, one that won’t be easily navigated.

And if it comes down to a tiebreaking formula, it simply doesn’t add up well at all for Detroit. No wonder that the latest playoff odds are showing the Red Wings with a 15.8% chance of being participants.

Red Wings Lose Key Tiebreaker

The first tiebreaker is regulation wins. Detroit owns 27 of those. Pittsburgh has 31, with Washington and Philadelphia each at 29 regulation victories.

Were the Wings to somehow manage to gain a tie in regulation wins, things to do get a bit better for them. The second tiebreaker is regulation plus overtime wins (the ROW column in the NHL standings). Here, Detroit has 36, and Pittsburgh is at 35. Washington and Philadelphia are each at 33.

The third tiebreaker is all types of wins. Detroit has 38 of those. That’s one better than all three of the other teams.

However, it’s wise to remember that it’s unlikely any deadlock will get past the first tiebreaker. Here’s some things that we do know for sure.

Petry in the final minute of the 2nd. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/u7LwoOsEYe

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

It’s almost a certainty that Detroit will need to finish the season at minimum with 88 points in order to make the playoffs. That’s because Washington is facing Philadelphia in the regular-season ender for both clubs. In other words, one of those teams is guaranteed to get another win and finish with no less than 87 points.

In this scenario, the Red Wings would need to garner at least three points from the club’s three remaining games. But should Pittsburgh win even one more game, then the Wings would need to get to 89 points, because there’s absolutely no way to win a tiebreaker with the Penguins. That would require four of the maximum six points still up for grabs.

“With three games left we still have a shot at this,” Detroit forward Lucas Raymond said.

Yes they do, but anyone doing the math would have to admit it’s a long shot at best.

The post Red Wings up Against it When it Comes to Playoff Tiebreaker appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Friday was to be comeback night for Detroit Red Wings netminder Ville Husso. Recovering from a lower-body injury, he was going to see his first game action guarding the net for Detroit’s top farm club, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins.

Husso, though, didn’t make it through the pre-game warmup. After taking some shots in the Griffins net, Husso left the ice prior to the conclusion of the warmup. He was seen conversing with the Griffins training staff after leaving the ice.

@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf

— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024

When the Griffins would skate out for their game against the Rockford IceHogs, Sebastian Cossa was the starting goalie. Carter Gylander was backing him up.

“Ville Husso is now unavailable for tonight’s game,” the Griffins posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “Sebastian Cossa will be in net.”

Following the game, Griffins coach Dan Watson was offering no update on Husso’s condition, only that he was told the netminder wouldn’t be available for the game. It was uncertain whether the Detroit goalie would be accompanying Grand Rapids to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Wolves.

Injury-Plagued Season For Husso

Slated to be Detroit’s No. 1 goalie at the outset of the season, Husso has seen action in one NHL game since December. The Finnish puckstopper would suffer a lower-body injury in a Dec. 18 game against the Anaheim Ducks at Little Caesars Arena.

Husso sat out Detroit’s next 20 games while recovering from the ailment. Following a rehab stint at Grand Rapids in which he would post a 25-save shutout against the Belleville Senators, Husso was back in the Red Wings net for a Feb. 13 game at Edmonton against the Oilers. Just 8:48 into that game, He would suffer another lower-body injury and depart.

“I guess it’s part of it,” Husso said earlier of his injury struggles this season. “It’s one of those years that everything goes not your way. It’s been tough but it’s hockey. I’ll be stronger when I come back.”

UPDATE: The #RedWings today loaned goaltender Ville Husso to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning. pic.twitter.com/1njr5cFeFK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 8, 2024

He was slated to see his first game action since that injury on Friday.

The Giffins lost 2-0 to the IceHogs, thus ending their 19-game home-ice point streak. As well, Cossa’s franchise-record 19-game point streak also was coming to a halt.

Sharing the Red Wings net with Alex Lyon and James Reimer, Husso is 9-5-2 in 19 games, with an .892 save percentage and 3.55 GAA.

The post Red Wings Husso Doesn’t Survive Warmup in Grand Rapids appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

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

The Red Wings are sitting with 85 points. That’s the same total as the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers. It’s one behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, holding down the second wild card placing with 86 points. Pittsburgh’s 6-5 overtime victory over Detroit on Thursday is currently the difference maker in this race.

LUCAS RAYMOND HAT TRICK!!! pic.twitter.com/0Z1fPr8JiZ

— NHL (@NHL) April 12, 2024

“I know it doesn’t feel good right now but there’s still a path there,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.

Detroit, Pittsburgh and Washington each have three games to play. Philadelphia is down to two games on the club’s remaining ledger.

Another factor that’s problematic for the Red Wings is that they lose the first tiebreaker to every one of these teams. That’s regulation wins and Detroit has 27 of them. Philadelphia and Washington each have 29, while Pittsburgh owns 31.

What this means is that the Red Wings will need to be a point clear of any challenger in order to claim the posteason position.

Let’s look to the final week of the regular season as the Red Wings continue their chase for a playoff spot.

Detroit Red Wings (38-32-9, 85 points)

Remaining Games: Sat at Toronto, Monday vs Montreal, Tuesday at Montreal.

The Red Wings were 5-2 winners the last time they were the visitors in Toronto on Jan. 14. Former Leafs goalie James Reimer got the win that night. Might Lalonde look to him to again come through?

Detroit is 1-8-2 in the club’s past 11 road games. The Red Wings have also scored two or fewer goals in eight of 19 games since the beginning of March. They’ve been shutout four times during that span.

Pittsburgh Penguins (37-30-12, 86 points)

Remaining Games: Saturday vs Boston, Monday vs Nashville, Wednesday at New York Islanders.

Former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic is 8-0-3 in his last 11 decisions for Pittsburgh. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has points in 13 of his last 15 games overall, accumulating 25 points (9-16-25) in that span.

Nedeljkovic on his mindset: "Just find the next puck. Worry about staying in the moment, not what's in the past – not what happened. You can't control it. So it's just finding that next one and getting back on the horse." pic.twitter.com/rE4DPORoX8

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2024

Thursday’s OT triumph was Pittsburgh’s ninth successive home-ice win (7-0-2) over the Red Wings. The Pens have outscored the Wings 47-22 in that span.

Washington Capitals (37-31-11, 85 points)

Remaining Games: Saturday at Tampa Bay, Monday vs Boston, Tuesday at Philadelphia.

The Capitals are 1-5-2 through their past eight games. The lone win was Tuesday at Detroit.

Washington simply isn’t scoring enough to sustain success. The Capitals have tallied two or fewer goals in each of the past eight games. They are averaging 1.75 goals per game over that span.

Philadelphia Flyers (37-32-10, 85 points)

Remaining Games: Saturday vs New Jersey, Tuesday vs Washington.

A 4-1 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday brought to a halt Philadelphia’s eight-game losing skid (0-6-2). Flyers forward Owen Tippett has 13 multi-point games this season. He has 15 points (6-9-15) in the last 15 games.

The good news is Philly finsihes with consecutive home games. On the other hand, the Flyers are just 3-3-2 over their past eight at home.

The post Handicapping The Race: Who Will Come to Aid of Red Wings? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

No one has to tell Detroit Red Wings defenseman Olli Maatta about how fantastic the core of the Pittsburgh Penguins is. He was living it in person as a Penguins player from 2013-19, winning a pair of Stanley Cups alongside the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

“I think they’re a proud group,” Maatta said. “They’ve done it for a long time and they still have that hunger. You know how they work day to day. They don’t take any games off. Every game matters for them.

“They want to succeed. They’re special kind of players for sure.”

Sidney Crosby continues to be recognized as the most well-rounded player on the ice – the @Penguins captain has won or tied atop the #NHLPAPlayerPoll most complete player category for five straight seasons! pic.twitter.com/EjX9MS5QQT

— NHLPA (@NHLPA) April 10, 2024

On the morning of Mar. 24, Pittsburgh sat 24th in the NHL standings and 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 30-30-9 record. The Penguins were nine points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and given just a 1.7% chance of making the postseason per moneypuck.com. Now, the Penguins enter tonight’s game against Detroit with points in nine-straight games (6-0-3). Like the Red Wings, they’re one point out of a playoff spot.

“They’ve been playing great,” Detroit forward Patrick Kane said of the Penguins. “They’ve been finding ways to get points and win games. It’s been impressive, because you thought they were out of the playoff picture around the trade deadline. They’ve had quite a run.”

Crosby Leading The Way

Crosby, as is usually the case, is pacing that progress. He’s been accounting for an NHL-leading 17 points since March 24.

“I don’t think there’s ever enough to be said about how big of a leader, how special of a player he is and has been for a long time,” Maatta said of Crosby. “on’t know how somebody can do that for that long. I didn’t think that was possible but he can do it. He’s shown that. And he’s still doing it at an elite level. I think it’s gonna be a big challenge for us.”

Game Time

Thursday: Detroit at Pittsburgh

Where: PPG Paints Arena

TV/RADIO: Bally Sports Detroit/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Penguins Preview

Pittsburgh captain Crosby reached the 40-goal plateau for the third time in his career. He’s the seventh NHL player to post a 40-goal campaign after his 36th birthday . . . Crosby needs two points to tie Phil Esposito for 10th all-time in NHL scoring. “He’s special,” Lalonde said. “He’ll go down as one of the greatest ever. He’s pushing that team.” . . . Pittsburgh is 386-88-46 when both Crosby and Malkin get a point in the same game . . . Former Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has gaines points for Pittsburgh in each of his last nine games (6-0-3). That’s a career best for him.

Red Wings Preview

Alex Lyon will be making his sixth consecutive start tonight. “We’re ready to play James (Reimer) any time,” Lalonde said. “We’ll kind of go game by game, but we foresee James getting the net in one of these games. It’s just a matter of when.” . . . Forwards Andrew Copp (broken cheekbone) and Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) are out.

UPDATE: The #RedWings today recalled center Zach Aston-Reese from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. pic.twitter.com/1HbSliDuNf

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 10, 2024

Former Penguin Zach Aston-Reese is up from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. “Aston-Reese will probably help us on the penalty kill, having two of our top killers out,” Lalonde said. He’ll play on the foruth line with Christian Fischer and Austin Czarnik. Lalonde is tweaking all four lines. It’s Dylan Larkin-Alex DeBrincat-Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane-J.T. Compher-David Perron and Joe Veleno-Robby Fabbri-Daniel Sprong on the other lines . . . D pairings remain the same, meaning Justin Holl and Jake Walman will be healthy scratches.

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