Lucas Raymond delivered again to keep the Detroit Red Wings’ chase for an NHL playoff spot alive.
Raymond’s goal with 1:17 left in regulation Monday staved off elimination and his winner in overtime gave the Wings a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the regular season finale at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings (40-32-9) now have 89 points.
The Wings overcame a shaky start, gifting their opponent easy offense, but J.T. Compher helped out with a pair of push-back goals. Alex DeBrincat cut it to 4-3 when he scored his 27th goal of the season midway through the third period. The Wings pulled goalie Alex Lyon with 2:20 to play for an extra attacker in desperation. That paid off with Raymond firing a puck high into Montreal’s net, less than a week after his hat trick in Pittsburgh got the Wings a much-needed point.
Fans did what they could, chanting ever louder. An octopus landed on the ice midway through the third period. Then another.
If the Wings lost in regulation, they would have been eliminated from the playoffs. Now their Tuesday game in Montreal matters — but they still need outside help to advance, as the race for the Eastern Conference’s last spot is incredibly tight. The Washington Capitals (89 points, one game left) and Penguins (88 points, one game left) also won Monday.
To make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the Wings must again defeat the Canadiens, and need the Capitals to lose at Philadelphia on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Lucas Raymond building his value with Red Wings: ‘He’s our game decider’
Dicey start
While the Wings had their playoff hopes on the line, the Canadiens (30-36-15) had nothing but fun. Their looseness showed as they came out and built a lead within five minutes. During a battle in front of Detroit’s net, Patrick Kane missed on a chance to clear the puck and instead Brendan Gallagher tapped in Lane Hutson’s shot on net at 4:25. At 6:15, Justin Barron scored off the rush, knocking down a pass from Josh Anderson and sending the puck into the Wings’ net off the crossbar. That made it two goals on three shots.
Stemming momentum
Given how the Habs were rolling, it was key for the Wings to get one back as soon as possible. It was Compher who came through with a goal at 8:11. Ben Chiarot fired the puck in from the blue line; DeBrincat tried to beat Sam Montembeault from the left side, and Compher succeeded on the right side to reach 18 goals on the season. The Wings settled down after that, and did a better job with team defense. It helped that Andrew Copp returned to the lineup after missing just two games since suffering a broken cheekbone in the April 9 game against the Capitals, when he was high-sticked late in the third period. Copp wore a full cage mask for protection.
Easy offense
The Wings allowed the Habs easy offense early in the second period. Rafael Harvey-Pinard was able to get in behind Detroit’s defense, took a pass from Jake Evans and made it 3-1. Shayne Gostisbehere drew a penalty at 6:43 to send the Wings on a power play. Robby Fabbri had a golden chance from just outside the right goal post, but Montembeault was able to deny the shot. Instead, the deficit grew to three goals when another breakdown left Gallagher all alone in the slot, free to tee up a shot that beat Lyon at 15:26. It was the Wings’ turn to benefit from some easy offense when David Perron fired in a puck from the left boards. Kane tipped it, and Compher finished the play to again spur momentum.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
