One point. It could be the difference between a playoff spot and an early start to the golf season.
That right now, applies to - of all teams - the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit lost to the San Jose Sharks by a score of 3-2 in a shootout Thursday night, and are precariously holding the final playoff spot in the Western Conference by just two points over the Phoenix Coyotes.
The Wings could’ve had the full two points. Instead, they came away with just one. In the end, could that be the difference between qualifying for the post-season or missing out?
“You got to earn your right to say playoff games and we’re in a dogfight,’' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock told MLive.com on Thursday.
“We’d have liked to get two points. We’re going to keep battling, keep worrying about the process and doing good things, and in the end good things will happen to us. We just got to compete hard.’'
The Red Wings are in Chicago on Friday to face the Blackhawks, while the Coyotes are in Calgary to play the Flames.
Should the Red Wings lose in regulation and the Coyotes win, the two teams would be tied in points, however Detroit would hold on to the tiebreaker of more regulation-overtime wins.