Detroit Red Wings

Wings take it on the chin... alive still. Bruins 5-2 winners.

 

BOSTON -- The math is simple and the focus is clear for the Detroit Red Wings in their pursuit of a 25th straight trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"We put ourselves in a position [Wednesday] by winning a game to control our own destiny," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after a 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Thursday. "So let's go win a hockey game on Saturday."

The Red Wings need to win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden (12:30 p.m. ET; FS-D, MSG, NHL.TV) in regulation or overtime to clinch a postseason spot without any help.

If Detroit wins in a shootout Saturday, it would need assistance from either the Boston Bruins or Philadelphia Flyers to qualify.

The Flyers control their own destiny with two games remaining (Saturday at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sunday at the New York Islanders). If Philadelphia wins both, it will secure the second wild card from the Eastern Conference.

If the Flyers win each of their remaining games and the Red Wings beat the Rangers in regulation or overtime, it won't matter what Boston does Saturday against the Ottawa Senators; in that scenario, the Bruins would be out of the playoffs because of the non-shootout wins tiebreaker.

If the Red Wings and Bruins each finish with 95 points and 39 non-shootout wins, Boston owns the second tiebreaker against Detroit, having won the season series 3-1. Under that scenario, the Red Wings would need help to claim the second wild card. If Philadelphia wins out, it would finish with 96 points; Detroit can get no more than 95.

"We've got character in this room to get the job done and we've just got to go out there and play one game, win one game," Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard said. "We know what it's going to take and I know we can do it."

The situation is not new to the Red Wings. They had to win their final four games of the 2012-13 season to clinch a playoff berth. And, like this season, the Red Wings went into the penultimate game in control of their own playoff fate; they gave themselves a chance this season by defeating the Flyers 3-0 at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday.

 

Jeff Blashill is an outright moron for pulling Jimmy with 2:45 to play in the game. That is way too early and effectively cost us the game. He's lucky the Broonz are getting killed today or I'd be calling for his head.

 

Somehow, Detroit is in. Story of the teams who just don't want to go to the playoffs. Boston is likely to get their wish. Way to roll over, everyone.

 

Backed in...

#25

 

The Detroit Red Wings can enjoy a silver anniversary celebration. The Boston Bruins, on the other hand, are finished for the season.

The Red Wings on Saturday clinched a Stanley Cup playoff berth for the 25th consecutive season. They lost 3-2 to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden but secured third place in the Atlantic Division when the Bruins lost 6-1 to the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden.

Boston was eliminated when the Philadelphia Flyers clinched the final berth in the Eastern Conference with a 3-1 home win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers, who are the second wild card, will play the Washington Capitals in the first round. The Red Wings, who went 5-3-0 in their final eight games, will play the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins, after losing to the Ottawa Senators 5-1, needed the Flyers to be limited to one point in their final two games to reach the playoffs. Philadelphia got two Saturday.

The only issue remaining in the Eastern Conference is third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers have a two-point lead over the New York Islanders, but the Islanders play Saturday at home against the Buffalo Sabres and Sunday at home against the Flyers. If the Islanders get a total of at least three points in the two games, they will finish third and play second-place Pittsburgh in the first round (Washington won the division). The team that doesn't finish third will be the first wild card and play the Florida Panthers, the Atlantic Division champions.

 

Congrats on getting in Will.

 

Pavel Datsyuk plans to retire from the NHL after the playoffs and play the rest of his career in Russia. That sucks, particularly because his $7.5 million cap hit will count against us next year.

 

ya that does suck. between Franzen and Datsyuk thats gonna be $11.5 in dead money next year.
http://www.generalfanager.com/teams/detroit-red-wings

aside from the money aspect and just the overall loss for the Wings, thats a loss for the whole league. he's been so good for so long and never really got his due. he's the kind of player you tell kids to just watch and emulate.

 

Sure going to miss that guy... what a hockey player. Best thief I ever saw play the game.

 

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/n...think-i-am-done-playing-in-nhl-151733470.html

 

Lightning and Red Wings, Wednesday at 7...

 

I think Datsyuk was criminally underrated for years and then criminally overrated (compensation) for the last several. He broke down pretty hard by 12' imo, and he was too dependent on linemates to really dictate matchups all by himself anymore. Still a really good player, but he has been far from reliable in terms of health, durability, and ability to generate offense against top units for quite a while.

Stinks for Detroit, but I think Holland knew it was a possibility.

 

Kronwall and Zetterberg will be the last 2 wings to have been on the ice for the postseason run in 08'.

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS APRIL 11, 2016, 2:43 PM
Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk says it is hard to make a final decision on his future.

Datsyuk was peppered with questions Monday, a day after being quoted in a story saying he was returning to Russia and retiring from the NHL.

The 37-year-old centre insists his focus is only on the playoffs. The Red Wings will play at Tampa Bay on Wednesday night in the first game of the playoffs.

Datsyuk has one season left on his three-year, $22.5 million contract. He will count $7.5 million against Detroit's salary cap next season even if he retires. Datsyuk acknowledges it was a mistake to sign a multiyear deal.

Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg says he had a feeling Datsyuk would want to go back home.

 

well durability has been an issue, no doubt.
i just love his game when he's in. i don't think Detroit has been all that strong and he seemed to be the one that was stirring the drink when they were winning, especially when they wern't necessarily the better team.

 

Game #1 Tonight; Red Wings vs Lightning. 7pm

 

[video]https://youtu.be/f-A9W4yNJP8[/video]

 

What a fucking shot to make that 1-0. Playoff hockey has started. With as pesky as Detroit can be up and down the ice, if Tampa can't separate themselves, I see this series getting real chippy.