Former Red Wings player Jakub Vrana has much to prove to earn a spot on the Washington Capitals. But Washington veterans are excited to have him around in training camp on a PTO deal.

“He’s a guy that just lights up the room when he walks in,” Capitals left wing Tom Wilson said. “It feels like old times having him around. You go through a special thing together and win a championship, and you have a bond for life, and just seeing him walk in the first day was a really cool feeling…”

Wilson, Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson are among the Caps on the roster when Vrana was on Washington’s squad from 2016 to 2021. Vrana had back-to-back seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20) when he scored 24 and 25 goals, respectively, for Washington. He was on the Washington team that won the Stanley Cup in 2018.

The Red Wings acquired Vrana from Washington, but then dealt him to St. Louis after he had a stint in the NHL/NHL Player Association Player Assistance Program.

Washington Hockey Now’s Nathan Moser story quotes players and head coach Spencer Carbery talking about Vrana’s potential.

“He looks fantastic out there,” Carlson said. “…He’s been chomping at the bit to get another chance, and I think he’s ready to make the most of it.”

Carbery said what he wants from Vrana are high compete and work levels.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

The Red Wings are all relieved now that Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are both signed for many years to come.

Why Jonatan Berggren‘s scoring touch is more important this season. The Red Wings may need his help.

Could Carter Mazur be one of the surprises on the Red Wings this season? Bob Duff believes it is possible.

Paywall story: Five reasons why Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is an intriguing prospect. If you need to subscribe, click here.

Red Wings Offseason

One of the Red Wings’ biggest questions in training camp is whether Ville Husso can stay healthy. He’s the team’s highest paid goalie, but he will have to battle to get playing time over Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon. Day 1 first impresssions were glowing. “Huss looks really good,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. “He’s really committed and obviously had a tough stretch last season. So I’ve seen it, he’s really dialed in.”

Hockey Now Network

Boston: If Jeremy Swayman remains unsigned, Joonas Korpisalo becomes the Bruins No. 1. Andrew Fantuccio looks at what that means with preseason games not far off. Boston Bruins.

Buffalo: Rasmus Dahlin was among five Sabres  injured in wild Sabres practice session. Buffalo Sabres. 

New Jersey: Dawson Mercer’s new deal will pay him $4 million per season average over three years. New Jersey Devils.

Philadelphia: Jonathan Bailey offers his winners and losers from the Flyers’ rookie camp. Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: The Penguins’ practice Thursday included Sidney Crosby getting a chuckle over flattening Evgeni Malkin and coach Mike Sullivan being pleased over the efforts of a couple of rookies. Pittsburgh Penguins. 

San Jose: Sheng Peng reports on what’s up with the Yaroslav Askarov injury. San Jose Sharks.

The post The Daily: Vrana Presence Pleases Cap Players; Berggren’s Value appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Seeing Alex Ovechkin listed as the 19th best winger on the NHL Network ranking certainly gets our attention. Ovechkin does turn 39 next month. But he did put up 31 goals last season.

“While there are many great wingers in the NHL, is Ovechkin ranked too low on this list? Should he have been higher?,” writes Washington Hockey Now’s Nathan Moser. “I can understand Capitals fans who believe he should be ranked higher than 19 on this list. There is an important aspect to this list though in regard to Ovechkin.

Added Moser: “These rankings are a fun activity for NHL Network to put out to gear up for this upcoming season. No matter where he ranks on their top winger list, he is still a crucial member to Washington’s offense. The 2024-25 season is almost upon us. With that, fans will see how Ovechkin does offensively and how many wins the Capitals get as a team.

Red Wings in Case You Missed It

New Red Wings players have picked their numbers. Someone is taking Filip Zadina‘s old number.

Why the Washington Capitals gave Jakub Vrana a PTO to come to their training camp.

Paywall story: Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane are both in Detroit with an eye on winning. Bob Duff looks at their attitudes. To read this story, you can take advantage of our limited time offer of a yearly subscription for $10. Click here to sign up today. The offer expires today.

Red Wings offseason

Detroit prospect defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka dismissed the rumors that he would be at the Red Wings’ training camp. He’s staying with his Swedish Hockey League team.

Scratch yesterday’s report that ASP is going to Wings camp, today he clarifies he is in fact staying in sweden:https://t.co/vCbNBfOzrN https://t.co/Jx3D2aRpKs

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) August 16, 2024

Hockey Now Network

Montreal: Marc Dumont projects what the Montreal forward group will look like this season. Montreal Canadiens.

Pittsburgh: Don’t expect the Penguins or Sidney Crosby to provide any information on how contract talks are going. Everyone is locked down.

The post The Daily: Ovechkin Barely Makes Top 20; Sandin Pellikka Update appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Jakub Vrana return to Washington, even on a PTO, makes perfect sense from his perspective. He put up noteworthy offensive numbers and displayed a dynamic presence before the Capitals traded him to Detroit.

Washington Hockey Now’s Nathan Moser called the Vrana PTO a “good move” by first-year GM Chris Patrick. Moser believes Vrana’s skill set fit wells with Washington’s revamped offensive group.

“The Capitals are getting a player who was fast when he was there the first time,” Moser wrote.  “His speed was built for the current NHL game. It is one of his best attributes, and one of the big reasons why he was crucial to the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2018. During that championship postseason run, Vrana scored three goals and (added) five assists for eight points in 23 games.”

But Vrana is far from a lock to get a contract. Much has happened since the Capitals traded him to Detroit. The Red Wings were quick to move on from him after he went through the NHL / NHL Players Assistance Program. He scored 12 goals in 41 games over two seasons. He is 28. It’s hard to know what his floor or ceiling really are.

“If things go well,” Moser writes,  “Maybe he is in the lineup for the Capitals or he starts 2024-25 off in the AHL with the Hershey Bears. There are multiple ways this could play out. When camp arrives, fans can see how he gels in with the rest of the team and then go from there.”

Red Wings in Case You Missed It

Red Wings prospects Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (Norway) and Marco Kasper (Austria) will be participating Aug. 29-Sept. 1 in Olympic qualifying tournaments. Bob Duff has the details in his Red Wings notebook.

Detroit’s annual NHL Prospect tournament has been reduced to a two-game series against the Dallas Stars prospects in Traverse City. The games will be Sept. 14 (6 p.m.) and Sept. 15 (2:30) at Centre Ice Arena.

Former NHLer Chris Pronger talked recently about Steve Yzerman‘s role in a torn ACL he suffered 23 years ago.

Red Wings Offseason

Red Wings prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov had a slick shootout goal in a KHL preseason game.

In Dmitri Buchelnikov’s(2nd round’22) preseason debut he didn’t pick up any points. (He had a couple 3rd assists) but he had this awesome shootout move. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/sW8zhoAOLh

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) August 15, 2024

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Andrew Fantuccio writes about what the NHL Network got right and got wrong in rating David Pastrnak against all other wingers. Boston Bruins.

Colorado: The Avalanche hired long-time league office employee Andrew Wilson as an assistant general manager. Colorado Avalanche.

Philadelphia: Sam Carchidi looks at how Matvei Michkov and his teammates stack up against opponents. Philadelphia Flyers.

San Jose: Sheng Peng offers an insightful behind-the-paywall story about why Joe Pavelski was such a strong leader during his NHL career. You can read Peng’s story by taking advantage of our limited time offer of a yearly subscription for only $10. You can read paywall stories on any Hockey Now website. Plus, you can navigate without adds. To subscribe, click here. San Jose Sharks. 

The post The Daily: Why Caps Gave Vrana a PTO; Buchelnikov Update appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The reputation of Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and his opinion of the caliber of NHL officiating is no secret. Anyone who’s spent any length of time around Yzerman knows he likes to complain to and about the work of the league’s referees. And he’s not shy when it comes to sharing his opinion – even with the officials themselves.

Among NHL officials, Yzerman was known around the league as one of the top complainers during his playing days. It’s evident that when Stevie Y plays eight ball, he’s always choosing solids over stripes.

.@HoneyNutChelios Former ref Paul Stewart says that Yzerman was awful to deal with on the ice.

— George Malik (@georgemalik) July 30, 2014

Yzerman hasn’t been letting the officials off the hook as a GM, either. As he held his meeting with the media following the end of Detroit’s regular season, he couldn’t help but get in a couple of digs at the folks in the striped shirts.

Here’s the thing though, and it’s the beauty of the Yzerman wit. When he takes a job at you or someone else, part of you is thinking that it’s just playful joshing. At the same time, there’s also an element of it that surely seems to be for real.

Red Wings GM Takes Playful Digs

Yzerman was talking about watching the Washington-Philadelphia game last Tuesday and a specific call in the first period that irked him.

“Philly shoulda got credit for a goal in the first period,” Yzerman said. “It was a terrible call. They shoulda been winning 1-0.”

The Philadelphia Flyers saw their game-opening goal against the Washington Capitals disallowed after referee Kelly Sutherland blew the whistle after losing sight of the puck — only for it to end up in the net https://t.co/QJGTa5aO4p pic.twitter.com/x5Zo4rlkgg

— Scouting The Refs (@ScoutingTheRefs) April 17, 2024

Later, Yzerman was discussing David Perron’s game-tying goal with three seconds left in regulation the same night in Montreal.

“The faceoff, we got a bit of a break on the icing call,” Yzerman said. “Finally, they did us a favor.”

Both responses brought laughter from both Yzerman and the gathered media. They also drew notice from the national media.

“Only Yzerman could take two hilariously unprompted shots at officiating during a year-end review,” noted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his weekly 32 Thoughts column. “There would be no officials on the ice if he was in charge.”

The post Red Wings Yzerman Gets Roasted Over Official Comments appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Washington Capitals’ win over the Philadelphia Flyers was the immediate cause of the Detroit Red Wings missing out on the NHL playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. But when GM Steve Yzerman begins reviewing how this season unfolded it will be clear that the team’s 4-9-2 record in March played a large role in their undoing.

The two losses to the Arizona Coyotes that month are going to stick in the fans’ mind. And the number of goals the Red Wings gave up will stand out. Over their last 23 games, the Red Wings gave up four or more goals 15 times (65.2%). It’s hard to make the playoff with those numbers.

Detroit was 24th in team goals-against in 2023-24, two places lower than they were in 2022-23.  Goaltending certainly played a role in that, but the team’s overall defensive play was inconsistent down the stretch.

Yzerman and coach Derek Lalonde will have much to discuss this week.

You want to play meaningful games to find out what your players are made of.

Lucas Raymond's last 32GP: 18G, 13A, 31PTS

Raymond in April: 8GP, 7G, 5A, 12PTS, +8

Safe to say the Red Wings have learned something about Raymond. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/Ybkvxue1gs

— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) April 17, 2024

Red Wing In Case You Missed It

• Lucas Raymond proved with his player over the last month of the season that he is a budding superstar. Raymond was both dynamic and relentless.
• Scouts say Antti Tuomisto’s development this season in Grand Rapids shows he has a chance at playing in the NHL.
• Shai Buium has two NCAA championships, but will he have a contract with the Red Wings this summer? He hasn’t yet indicated his future plans.

Red Wings Offseason

The Red Wings will be looking at the Grand Rapids Griffins as they battle for home-ice advantage in their upcoming poostseason series in the AHL playoffs. With three games remaining in the regular-season, the Griffins hold a one-point lead over Rockford. The Griffins play the Iowa Wild on Wednesday and Friday and the Milwaukee Admirals on Sunday. With the Detroit season completed, look for Simon Edvinsson, Zach Aston-Reese and Austin Czarnik returning to the Griffins.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Jack Edwards, 67, is retiring as Boston Bruins broadcaster. He announced before the Bruins’ final regular-season game.

Colorado: Injured defenseman Sam Girard could be ready to play by the start of the Colorado Avalanche’s first-round series.

Florida: The Florida Panthers rally to beat the Maple Leafs and win the Atlantic Division. They will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.

Nashville: Andrew Brunette received some love for coach of the year in the NHL.com Jack Adams Trophy poll. Nashville Predators. 

Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Penguins have no one to blame except themselves for missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They let too many games get away from them throughout the season.

San Jose: Because the Penguins missed the playoffs, the San Jose Sharks will end up with two picks in the top 15 of the NHL draft. The Sharks’ own Pittsburgh’s pick from the Erik Karlsson trade.

The post The Daily: Red Wings Lost Playoff Spot in March; Panthers Finish First 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.

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.