WING THINGS
The Wildcard race is as tight as could be with four teams, including the Red Wings, tied for the final two post season berths with 80 points. The Wings had a chance to put a little distance between themselves and the other three contenders Tuesday night but they couldn’t hang on after coming back from a two goal deficit. The win would’ve been huge, some say they were robbed, however in the drive for the post-season looking back doesn’t do much good.
It goes without saying that the next two games are pivotal. First, the Wings face the Habs tonight where two points will put them in sole ownership of the seventh playoff spot. None of the other contenders are in action tonight so should the Wings capture a few points, it’ll put a little pressure on the other teams heading into the weekend.
Saturday night the Wings will take on the falling Maple Leafs. The Leafs are riding a six game losing streak and play the Flyers on Friday prior to hosting the Red Wings.
Ultimately, the Wings have an opportunity, over the next two games in particular, to dramatically change their situation headed down the final stretch. Just as the Wings have had to be opportunistic to win games this season with key players out of the lineup, they now need to be opportunistic in terms of the standings leading into the playoffs.
STOLEN OR SQUANDERED?
Should the goal have counted? Was Cam Atkinson pushed in? Realistically, it doesn’t matter, there are plenty of other scenarios in the game that could’ve panned out different and affected the outcome. For my two cents though, that goal shouldn’t have counted. Smith didn’t give much of a push, I think momentum was more at play than anything, and further, I don’t know that Atkinson could’ve got a handle on it had the net not come loose, giving him a better angle to get a stick on it as he fell. On top of that, if Atkinson didn’t make contact with Howard’s glove, I think that puck would’ve stayed under him.
GAME DAY
The Montreal Canadiens will be at The Joe tonight as the Wings enter the last ten games of the season. The Habs have won their last three straight and have only lost once in their last seven games. The Canadiens have all but clinched their trip to the post-season but they are still in the fight for position. With their success over the last half dozen games, the Habs are heating up at just the right time.
Gustav Nyquist extended his goal streak to six games on Tuesday. Over the span of the streak he’s scored nine goals and one assist. Nyquist scored in both prior meetings between the Wings and the Canadiens which bodes well for the state of his streak (and the Wings for that matter!) heading into tonight’s game. Nyquist is the leagues hottest scorer over the last two months with 20 of the 25 goals he’s scored this season coming in the last 24 games.
Tomas Jurco is expected to return to the lineup tonight after being out of the lineup since March 11th. Jurco will skate on the top line with David Legwand and Johan Franzen.
STARTING LINEUPS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
RED WINGS
Jurco - Legwand - Franzen Nyquist - Sheahan - Tatar Andersson - Helm - Alfredsson Miller - Glendening - Bertuzzi
Kronwall - Smith Quincey - DeKeyser Kindl - Smith
Jimmy Howard (starting) Jonas Gustavsson
Injuries: Abdelkader, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Cleary, Weiss, Samuelsson, Ericsson
CANADIENS
Pacioretty - Desharnais - Vanek Galchenyuk - Plekanec - Gallagher Bourque - Briere - Gionta White - Eller - Bournival
Markov - Emelin Tinordi - Subban Weaver - Murray
Carey Price (starting) Peter Budaj
Injuries: Gorges, Prust, Weise, Moen