The Daily: Senators Do Red Wings A Favor; Crosby in Hart Race?

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.