The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture is getting weirder by the day. The Detroit Red Wings were comfortably in a playoff spot before the NHL Trade Deadline, but now they are hanging on for dear life. Dylan Larkin‘s injury has not helped, and Patrick Kane has also slowed down his production.
With the Red Wings currently on a seven-game losing streak, the door is left open for teams like the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and even the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the latter has a lot of work to do.
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Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman did not do much at the deadline. He did not do anything because the realistic expectation was that Kane was the addition to help them get in. However, missing the playoffs at this point, even though they weren’t supposed to be there, would be disappointing.
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joined SportsCenter on March 13th to discuss the Detroit Red Wings’ chances of making the playoffs.
Glenn Schiiler: “Here is an updated look at the Eastern Conference standings after blowing out the Red Wings, Buffalo is kind of still hanging around for that wildcard spot, but the big news is these Red Wings, on February 28, were comfortably sitting in a playoff spot six points clear, 10 points up on the Islanders but now on a six-game skid and the Islanders playing much better. They’re now tied. The Islanders actually hold that final spot based on points percentage of Detroit on the outside looking in now.
As promised, Craig Button’s back to chat about this. These Detroit Red Wings making it difficult on themselves. This is a tight race for that final wildcard spot or two in the East. Craig, a couple of weeks ago, it kind of looked locked in. How do you see it playing out down the stretch? Does Detroit stay in the mix and find a way to get in? Or can you see the Red Wings missing the playoffs?”
Craig Button: I can see both scenarios playing out. The loss of Dylan Larkin at this point this season, when you lose a player with that type of impact, it really shows up. But I think it’s shown up here in this losing streak for the Detroit Red Wings, and it’s one thing to be close in games, but they’re really getting beat, and certainly, that’s not where you want to find yourself as a contending team for the playoffs.
But Glenn, you yourself have talked about this, about how the Red Wings have kind of been a team that’s won like four or five in a row, then last four or five in a row kind of streaks of good streaks are bad. Now, we see this as obviously one of the bad streaks, and certainly, when you’re in that type of a hunt, you want to be trying to find your game. You want to be trying to find a consistency in your game.
Right now, for the Red Wings, there’s not really any area of their game that’s functioning at a high level, and yes, we can look at Dylan Larkin being out of the lineup and that significant. But I think the New York Islanders are really playing well under Patrick Roy. The Tampa Bay Lightning have those star players, and they, like Detroit, have kind of had the runs of good and the runs of bad. Buffalo is playing with house money.
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I think Buffalo have a tough time getting in because they got to climb such a steeper mountain but for the Detroit Red Wings, you’re running out of games and you got to start finding your game. And for the Detroit Red Wing at this point in time, they don’t look like their game is in order and if they don’t find their game in order, I would hedge my bet and say that they’ll miss the playoffs.”
Schiiler: “Man, it’s funny though. Coming into the season, I think they would have been happy, you know, competing for a playoff spot, but how have the years gone, they were kind of in a playoff spot the whole year. If they miss, that’s gonna be a pretty big disappointment in Detroit.”
It has been a wild and wacky year in the NHL. The race is on, let’s see if the Detroit Red Wings can hang on.
