The Detroit Red Wings' quest for the Stanley Cup playoffs fell just short this time around.
Their game against the Montreal Canadiens ended dramatically in a shootout on Tuesday, but they were already out of the playoff picture by then. David Perron shocked everyone with a game-tying goal just 3.3 seconds before the end of regulation. Despite Patrick Kane sealing a 5-4 victory in the shootout, the Wings were eliminated because the Washington Capitals secured a crucial win, clinching the playoff spot due to a tiebreaker (with more wins in regulation, 32-27). This marks the eighth consecutive season that the Wings have missed the playoffs.
The Wings had to fight back after falling behind 3-1, and they did just that with goals from Moritz Seider and Joe Veleno in the first two periods. Daniel Sprong, who had been a healthy scratch recently, came up big with a goal that tied the game early in the third period. The game's momentum shifted back and forth, with James Reimer making a crucial save on Nick Suzuki, but Juraj Slafkovksy managed to put the Canadiens ahead 4-3 with 7:14 left in the game.
With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, the Wings pressed hard but couldn't find the net until the final minute when Perron scored his 17th goal of the season. Shayne Gostisbehere, who was instrumental in setting up Raymond's goals in the previous game, also played a key role in Perron's goal.
As the Wings were preparing for a shootout, the Washington Capitals secured their spot in the playoffs with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers had pulled their goalie in a desperate attempt to win in regulation, but the Capitals scored an empty-net goal with three minutes left. This result ended the Wings' hopes, despite having held a nine-point lead over the Capitals earlier in March.
While the Wings showed resilience by rallying from a third-period deficit for the 14th time this season, they now face a long offseason ahead.
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