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.

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.

Alex Ovechkin hasn’t scored a goal against the Detroit Red Wings this season and yet he has put a scare into the Red Wings on a few occasions.

The Red Wings always have a “Beware of Ovi” sign in the back of their mind. He has 29 goals this season, and is currently playing with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson.

“I’m still in awe of Ovi,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “The game we beat them 8-3, he had the puck on his stick in the slot 90 seconds into the game. The point we got in Washington, we grind out to get to 3-3, there’s a minute and half left and he walks in all alone on the goalie. It’s an uncanny instinct for that high scoring area.”

The Ovi factor will be in play tonight when the Washington Capitals visit Little Caesars Arena with the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot on the line. The Red Wings have a one-point lead over Washington. Each team has five games left.

Lalonde said the key against the Capitals is not “giving them easy offense, play with pace.”

“I think it’s more about us and our game,” Lalonde said. “They have some elite talent.”

Our Detroit Red Wings (38-31-8, 84 pts) play their biggest game so far this season tonight, as they host the Washington Capitals (36-30-11, 83 pts) in their hunt for the final playoff spot. The LCA should be absolutely rockin' tonight! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/SzdGOy95zV

— Dan Clynick (@dclynick66) April 9, 2024

Game Time

Tuesday: Washington at Detroit

Where: Little Caesars Arena

TV/RADIO: ESPN/97.1 FM

Time: 7 p.m.

Capitals Preview

Since beating Detroit in overtime in D.C., the Capitals have lost six in a row. The.y picked up a point in two of those games. The Caps haven’t scored more than two goals in any of those losses. After scoring eight goals in a five-game span last month, Ovechkin has tallied three in his past seven games… In goalie Charlie Lindgren’s last five starts, he has given up 19 goals and has had only one game save percentage above .900. According to NHL game, defenseman Rasmus Sandin (upper body) won’t play on Washington’s two-game road trip.  Forward T.J. Oshie (upper body) is on the trip…Even with Ovechkin playing, the Capitals rank 28th in the NHL with a scoring average of 2.65 goals per game. They rank 20th with a 3.17 team goals-against average.

Head coach Spencer Carbery speaks to the media following today’s practice at MedStar Capitals Iceplex to discuss Tuesday’s upcoming game in Detroit.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/iF0v5Az8Cr

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 8, 2024

Red Wings Preview

Alex Lyon will be making his fifth consecutive start tonight. In his past four starts, he has stopped 141 of 150 shots (.940 save percentage). Asked whether Lyon would be in net the rest of the way, coach Derek Lalonde said: “No, it’s game by game. We’ve asked a lot of Alex. Last night was the start of six games in 10 days to finish the season. Different games look different for a goaltender. Last night was a volume game. He was on his toes the last 30 minutes of that game, especially in the third period. It’ll be game by game…Michael Rasmussen will still be out of the lineup for the third consecutive game with an upper body injury…

#RedWings lines at the skate before tonight’s game vs. Capitals (7 on ESPN)
Perron-Larkin-Raymond
DeBrincat-Compher-Kane
Fabbri-Copp-Fischer
Veleno-Czarnik-Sprong
Chiarot-Walman (for Seider)
Edvinsson-Petry
Maatta-Gostisbehere
Holl
Lyon starting. Reimer backup.
Seider not skating pic.twitter.com/8ooeTZFaPO

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) April 9, 2024

The Red Wings are hoping that Alex DeBrincat emerges from his scoring slump. He has 24 goals, but only one in his past 18 games…Patrick Kane has 12 points in his past 12 games…Lucas Raymond has been one of Detroit’s consistent scorers during the drive to earn the wildcard spot. He has 12 points (nine goals and three assists) in his last 13 games. Raymond recorded his 40th multiple-point game against Buffalo. He is the eighth Red Wings player age 22 or younger with 40 career multi-point games, joining Steve Yzerman (105), Marcel Dionne (67), Gordie Howe (67), Sergei Fedorov (62), Dale McCourt (51), Mike Foligno (43) and Dylan Larkin (41 GP).

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

The Ottawa Senators, a primary Red Wings’ rival, helped Detroit in a big way Sunday night by downing the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime.

Denying the Capitals an extra point allowed the Red Wings to stay in the Eastern Conference second wildcard spot. Detroit moved into that final spot by beating Buffalo 3-1 Sunday afternoon.

Each contender for that wildcard position has five games remaining. Now, Detroit controls its own destiny. If the Red Wings win their last five games, then they will qualify for the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The Capitals have now lost six in a row. The Red Wings play them Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.

Defenseman Jake Sanderson scored 41 seconds into overtime to give the Senators the win. He beat Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren with a wrist shot from the point. The Senators had tied the game 2-2 at 12:49 of the third period on a goal by Ridly Greig

Jake Sanderson gets it done in OT for the Sens! pic.twitter.com/oSAdAHGwO0

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 8, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Moritz Seider is the Red Wings’ top shot blocker. He confirmed that Sunday when he blocked 10 shots in Detroit’s 3-1 win against Buffalo.
• Goalkeeper Alex Lyon had a strong performance (37 saves) in the home win against the Sabres.
• Grand Rapids Griffins are giving some younger prospects a taste of the American Hockey League late in the season.

Red Wings Next Game

The Red Wings are home to face the Washington Capitals Tuesday and everyone understands the score. Detroit fell 4-3 in overtime to Washington just 13 days ago. The Red Wings are 1-0-1 against Washington this season. They clubbed the Capitals 8-3 on Feb. 27. But the Red Wings will face a more desperate Washington team on Tuesday. The Capitals are one point behind Detroit, and come into Detroit on a six-game losing streak (0-4-2). In fact, Washington’s last win was the OT triumph against Detroit on March 26.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Jimmy Murphy writes that it is a Stanley Cup or bust for defenseman Charlie McAvoy and the Boston Bruins.

Colorado: The Colorado Avalanche defensive woes continue as they fall 7-4 to the Dallas Stars. What’s going on in Colorado?

Florida: George Richards explains why you may see some new faces in the Florida Panthers’ lineup during their final regular-season homestand. Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad probably won’t play again until the playoffs.

New Jersey: Masterton nominee Curtis Lazar could miss the remainder of the season for the New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia: Jonathan Bailey explains why a Carolina Hurricanes’ signing impacts the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Dave Molinari makes a case for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby to win the Hart Trophy.

San Jose: Sheng Peng offers his Top 10 San Jose Sharks Prospect List. It’s interesting to note that Sharks’ recent signing Collin Graf, a hot NCAA free agent signing, is not on his list.

The post The Daily: Senators Do Red Wings A Favor; Crosby in Hart Race? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Bob Duff wrote an entertaining story Saturday about the Eastern Conference wildcard race. His point is there are only tortoises and no hares in this race. Nobody is speeding to the finish. It’s a bunch of slowpokes bumping along the course. There’s more meandering than racing.

It should be a sprint to the finish. But it’s shaping up like a marathon.

With at least one wild card race on the line, the Red Wings are 3-9-2 in March. The only reason they are still in the hunt is the New York Islanders have swooned, the Washington Capitals are an imperfect team and the Philadelphia Flyers have problems that even iron-willed John Tortorella can’t fix.

As Duff points out, this is an Eastern Conference wildcard race that no one wants to win.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Bob Duff explains why the struggling Red Wings still have a chance to secure a playoff spot. Nobody is taking charge in the Eastern Conference wildcard race.
• Michigan State and Michigan play against each other today in the NCAA Regional Final.  Detroit prospects Trey Augustine and Red Savage play for the Spartans and Kienan Draper is on Michigan’s team.
• The Red Wings called up Zach Aston-Reese from Grand Rapids Griffins, but he didn’t play against the Florida Panthers.
• Are the Detroit Red Wings in state of denial when it comes to the Eastern playoff race?

Red Wings Next Game

Detroit’s next opponent is the hottest team in the Atlantic Division. The Tampa Bay Lightning are 8-1-1 and the Red Wings play them Monday as the last game in their five-game road trip. Detroit is 0-2-2 in the first four games of this road trip. The Red Wings have scored five goals in the four games.  The Lightning, meanwhile, haven’t scored fewer than three goals in any game this season. In their 8-1-1 run, the Lightning have outscored opponents, 40-18.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: NHL scout says Bruins are tough no matter who they play. Boston Bruins.

Chicago: The Chicago Blackhawks unexpectedly do the Detroit Red Wings a favor by knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers.

New Jersey: Injured defenseman Dougie Hamilton is “probably” not coming back this season for the New Jersey Devils. 

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski slams another unacceptable Pittsburgh Penguins loss. The Penguins play this season has been hard to watch.

San Jose: Believe it or not, Mackenzie Blackwood has had the best season for a San Jose Sharks goalie since the days of Evgeni Nabokov.

The post The Daily: No Hares, Just Tortoises in East Wildcard Race; ‘Hawks Surprise appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

At some point soon, the Detroit Red Wings are going to run out of moral victories to give. Amazingly, that time still hasn’t arrived. And Detroit has no one to thank for that fact other than just about every other squad involved in this pathetic race for the final Eastern Conference wild card place.

If you ever pondered what the fable of the tortoise and the hare would look like if only tortoises were entered in the race, well, wonder no more. This chase is exactly that.

There is no frontrunner. Just a gathering of stragglers, dawdlers slowly lumbering their way to the finish line.

Red Wings Stumble Through March

The Red Wings were 3-9-2 in March and are in the midst of an 0-7-2 skid on the road. Yet with 80 points, they remain a scant two points out of a playoff position.

Here we go #RedWings. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/whk95eBbi9

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 30, 2024

That’s because the Philadelphia Flyers were 5-7-3 over the past month, while the New Jersey Devils went 6-9. The New York Islanders are 2-7-1 through their past 10 games and the Buffalo Sabres are 2-4 over the past six.

Only the Washington Capitals, 6-2-1 through the past nine games, are making a move. And that move on Saturday was to surpass the Flyers for third spot in the Metropolitan Division. It’s entirely possible that we may have seen the last of the Caps in the wild card race.

Let’s look to the week ahead as the Red Wings continue their chase for a playoff spot.

Detroit Red Wings (36-30-8, 80 points)

Games This Week: Monday at Tampa Bay, Friday vs New York Rangers, Sunday vs Buffalo.

The Red Wings keep touting moral victories, which count for nothing in the standings.

“I think our compete and our willingness to play the game that gives us success,” Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry was telling Bally Sports Detroit as to what he liked about their performance in Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss at Florida.

“That’s the recipe at this time of the year, is no matter what the circumstances, continuing to fight and play that team style game like we’ve been playing the last few. If we continue to do that, the points are going to come.”

Coach Derek Lalonde was pointing out that the Wings have a point in two of their last three games. What he failed to mention is that in both of those games, Detroit blew third-period leads before settling for one point.

Goalie Alex Lyon looks to be finding his game. However, even at that, he’s 0-8-2 over his past 10 decisions.

Washington Capitals (36-27-10, 82 points)

Games This Week: Tuesday at Buffalo, Thursday vs Pittsburgh, Friday at Carolina, Sunday vs Ottawa.

Here’s a big difference between Washington and Detroit. The Capitals also recently embarked upon a five-game road swing. They went 3-2.

Washington has lost just twice in regulation over the past nine games. Both defeats were given to them by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Philadelphia Flyers (36-29-10, 82 points)

Games This Week: Monday vs New York Islanders, Friday at Buffalo, Saturday at Columbus.

Supposedly, the Flyers are left with the softest finishing schedule of any team left in this race. Back to back losses to the Montreal Canadiens (4-1) and Chicago Blackhawks (5-1) by a combined 9-2 margin display that there are no easy games on the NHL slate.

Another concern for the Flyers is that they’ve only got seven games left to play. However, they do win the tiebreaker with the Red Wings, so it’s almost like Philly is holding a three-point edge over Detroit.

New York Islanders (31-27-15, 77 points)

Games This Week: Monday at Philadelphia, Tuesday vs Chicago, Thursday at Columbus, Saturday vs Nashville.

The bloom emanating from the arrival of new coach Patrick Roy has long since wilted. The Islanders are in free fall.

Ladies and gentlemen the 2023-24 New York islanders pic.twitter.com/Imm2XOagW2

— Nat (@90S0R0KIN) March 30, 2024

All that’s keeping them relevant is that the Isles still have nine games to play. However, if they don’t win Monday’s game at Philly, stick a fork in them. They’ll be done.

The post Handicapping The Race: Red Wings Still in Hunt For Playoff Spot Nobody Wants appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Tim Robinson pointed out that the Detroit Red Wings’ only good fortune Thursday night is that their rivals for an Eastern Conference wildcard position all were performing as badly as they were

The Washington Capitals, holding a two-point lead over Detroit, fell to the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1, while the Philadelphia Flyers lost 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens. The Flyers are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division. They hold a one-point lead over the Capitals. Should Washington pass Philadelphia for third, the Flyers will be competing with Detroit for a wildcard position.

The Capitals have another challenging game Saturday against the Boston Bruins. The Flyers have an easier game Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Detroit plays at Florida Saturday and at Tampa Bay Monday.  The Red Wings will be underdogs in both games. After those games, the Red Wings will only have seven games remaining. They are running out of time.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Red Wings playoff hopes are on the line in Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers and Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
• The Grand Rapids Griffins have qualified for the playoffs in the American Hockey League for the first time since 2019.
• Paywall story: GM Steve Yzerman is pleased with the progress young defensemen Antti Tuomisto and William Wallinder are making. To subscribe click here.To get $10 off the yearly subscription rate, use the promo code Kevin10
• Detroit’s 2023 first rounder Axel Sandin Pellikka scored an overtime goal in the Swedish Hockey League playoffs.

Red Wings Next Game

Coach Derek Lalonde’s Red Wings face the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. on Saturday.  Detroit is 0-2-1 on this five-game road trip against teams with better records. The Red Wings have been shut out four times this month, including twice in the past three games.

Hockey Now Network

Chicago: Nate Brown offers Chicago Blackhawks fans some potential draft targets to watch besides Macklin Celebrini.

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon’s historic streak of points in 35 consecutive home games ended in the Colorado Avalanche‘s shootout loss to the New York Rangers.

New Jersey: Former New Jersey Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek doesn’t want to talk about the time he spent in New Jersey.

Philadelphia:  CSKA Moscow terminated goalie Ivan Fedotov’s contract, perhaps clearing the way for him to join the Philadelphia Flyers. Some details still need to be worked out.

Pittsburgh: Dave Molinari explains why the Pittsburgh Penguins may have had a “bad” win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The win, coupled with other results, means there are now 10 teams below them in the NHL standings. The Penguins need to finish in the bottom 10 to be able to keep their first round draft pick. They traded that pick to San Jose in the Erik Karlsson deal. But it was bottom 10 “protected.” That means they can delay the first round pick payment until next season if they finish that low.

The post The Daily: Red Wings’ Loss Could’ve Been Worse; Flyers Get Goalie? appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

When the Detroit Red Wings led going into the third period this season, they won 88.9% of the time.  They were 24-3 in that situation coming into Tuesday’s game in Washington. They understand how to hold a lead.

That’s why the 4-3 overtime loss to the Capitals comes with regret.

The Red Wings led 2-1 after 40 minutes and then allowed a tying goal to Connor McMichael 35 seconds into the third period. They made another coverage mistake to let Dylan Strome give Washington a 3-2 advantage four minutes later. The Red Wings fought back to tie on Patrick Kane‘s goal from the slot with 5:20 left in regulation. Then they gave up an odd-man rush in overtime to allow Strome to make his second goal the OT game-winner. Alex DeBrincat was left behind on that goal.

With the win, the Capitals extended their lead over Detroit in the Eastern Conference wild card spot to two points. Washington has 11 games remaining, while Detroit shows 10.

“We knew how important the two points were tonight,” Detroit’s J.T. Compher told Bally Sports. “I think we’d love to have a little better start to the third period, but again we showed the resiliency to get that thing to overtime. Kind of a coin flip a bit for that second point, but we did what we needed to do to bounce back and get to overtime there.”

Washington goal!

Scored by Dylan Strome with 03:05 remaining in the OT period.

Assisted by John Carlson and Hendrix Lapierre.

Washington: 4
Detroit: 3#DETvsWSH #ALLCAPS #LGRW pic.twitter.com/EbBK5hyvt3

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 27, 2024

With the Philadelphia Flyers losing to the New York Rangers in overtime, the Capitals are now one point behind Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division. If the Capitals overtake Philadelphia, the Flyers fall into the wild card race.

“I think our guys are pretty good at judging themselves on the process and our team game has been good,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “The underlying numbers will play out pretty well. This is a game where analytics will tell us we probably should have won but we didn’t. It’s just a matter of not leaving plays out there. Continue to build on our team game. We’ve had some positives of late, but it’s going to have to be even better going into Carolina on Thursday.”

Road Struggles Continue

The Red Wings have played well in their first two games of a five-game road trip against teams with better records. But they only have one point to show for those games. The team needs wins, not an improved playing level. Detroit has lost seven consecutive games on the road.

Detroit had 20 shots on goal in the second period, producing goals by DeBrincat and David Perron to build its 2-1 lead. It was DeBrincat’s first goal in 13 games and Perron’s first goal in 11 games.

McMichael’s goal was the game-changer. Momentum shifted. Strome’s first goal was further deflating.

“I thought we managed it okay. I think it could’ve been a little bit better, but there wasn’t a panic, there was no freak out on the bench,”  Compher said. “We knew that they would push. That’s a team right on the bubble, like us. We knew they’d push to start the period. Once again, we bounced back after that.

Compher said the Red Wings know they can play better. They have to make fewer mistakes if they want to seriously challenge for a playoff spot against Washington or Philadelphia.

“I think we’re still building it up after the tough stretch we had,” Compher said. “I thought we generated a little more offense tonight with the structure still being there. Still some things to clean up. A little better puck management. It’s still getting better but there’s still room for improvement obviously to get the results we need.”

The post Red Wings Fail to Close Out Needed Win Vs. Washington appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Are the Washington Capitals playoff hopes being bolstered by Alex Ovechkin‘s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record? Or, is Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky’s mark helping Ovechkin’s desire to get the Capitals into the NHL playoffs?

Whether it’s the chicken or the egg, Ovechkin’s increased scoring is having a major impact on both pursuits.

Ovechkin, 38, has netted eight goals in the past five games and 18 in his past 24 games since Jan. 27. He started the season with eight goals in his first 43 games. The Red Wings will be looking to slow down the Ovechkin tonight when they meet in DC in a game with heavy implications in the Eastern Conference wild card race. The Capitals, winners of five of their last six, own a one-point lead over Detroit and have one game in  hand.

This is the second game on Detroit’s five-game road trip against teams with better records. The Red Wings lost the first game 1-0 to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Capitals have 11 games remaining after tonight’s meeting, and the Red Wings will have 10.

Now with 26 goals this season, Ovechkin needs 47 goals to break Gretzky’s career record of 894 goals.

Two things I’d like to see before both retire:

Sidney Crosby 1,800 points

Alex Ovechkin 900 goals

Ovechkin is 47 away from beating Gretzky’s record, but 1,800 might actually be attainable as well with Crosby being 225 away and likely in shape to play til he’s 40

What an era pic.twitter.com/TIOw3GFi8H

— Shane Sander (@SanderEDM) March 26, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• The Grand Rapids Griffins’ playoff outlook got a lift when the Red Wings returned Jonatan Berggren to the team. He had sat out the Red Wings’ last five games.
• Defenseman Simon Edvinsson is playing well enough to stay in Detroit’s lineup. The Red Wings will have a decision to make when Jake Walman is recovered from his injury.
• Lucas Raymond says the NHL playoff race is more fun than stressful. It’s like the Red Wings are already playing playoff games.
• Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff provides a Red Wings vs. Capitals preview for today’s game in Washington.

Red Wings Next Game

Captain Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings are in Washington to play the Capitals tonight  (7 p.m.) with Eastern Conference wild card position in play. The Red Wings won’t have to deal with tough Capitals forward Tom Wilson who is in the midst of a six-game NHL suspension.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Coach Jim Montgomery ripped his Boston Bruins team for their recent inconsistency.

Montreal: MHN weighs in on how close the Montreal Canadiens are to contending again.

Philadelphia: Jonathan Bailey writes about whether goaltending is going to cost the Philadelphia Flyers a playoff position.

Pittsburgh: Shelly Anderson provides details about the recovery of the Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads.  Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The post The Daily: How Ovi’s Resurgence Fuels Capitals; Jagr Bobblehead Caper appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings woke up still in a playoff spot. But they may go to bed wondering what it will take to get back in.

Coach Derek Lalonde’s crew played well Saturday, but lost a disappointing 1-0 decision to the high-flying Nashville Predators. They are 15-0-2 in their last 17. Here’s Bob Duff’s take on the Detroit game.

The Washington Capitals were idle Saturday, leaving them with two games in hand over the Red Wings. That will change today because the Capitals will play the Winnipeg Jets at 12:30 today (NHL Network) with a chance to move past the Red Wings for the second wild card position. The Capitals will move past Detroit with a victory.

The Capitals have won four of their last five, but have given up 13 goals in their last two games. They are playing a Jets team that is 5-5 in their last 10.

8️⃣4️⃣6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/PSAn7BWiBr

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 23, 2024

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Detroit prospect Trey Augustine was honored as the top performer in Michigan State’s 5-4 overtime win against Michigan in the Big Ten title game. He totaled 33 saves.
• You gotta see it: Detroit defenseman Moritz Seider was involved in his first NHL fight.
• If the Red Wings qualify for the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, who would be their starting goalie? Alex Lyon? James Reimer? Ville Husso? All three Detroit goalies have had their moments.
• The Nashville Predators handed the Red Wings a disappointing loss. Coach Derek Lalonde’s team are not rewarded for playing well defensively.

Red Wings Next Game

The Red Wings resume their crucial five-game road trip with a game Tuesday against the Capitals in Washington. Last week, it was said the Red Wings’ game against the New York Islanders was their biggest game of the season. Now, this game against the surging Capitals is their biggest game.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Bruins coach Jim Montgomery wants Brad Marchand to be a bit more patient on the ice. Boston Bruins. 

Montreal: Marco D’Amico explains why the Calgary Flames’ retooling could be beneficial to the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey: The New Jersey Devils squandered an opportunity by losing to the Ottawa Senators.

New York: The New York Islanders playoff hopes were resuscitated by a win against the Winnipeg Jets.

Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Flyers took a major step toward qualifying for the playoffs by downing the Boston Bruins. Sam Carchidi has five takeaways.

Pittsburgh:  Dave Molinari writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a race of sorts, just not the playoff race they wanted. Here’s what Penguins fans should be thinking about as the losses pile up.

The post The Daily: Red Wings May Fall Out of Playoffs Today; Augustine Stars appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.