As you may have read already on this site, the Detroit Red Wings find themselves out of a playoff position after last night’s loss in Calgary combined with Columbus’ fifth straight win, a 3-2 overtime victory in Anaheim.
Here’s how the playoff picture looks, according to Sports Club Stats:
The Red Wings do have a game in hand on the Blue Jackets, and they’ve got the tiebreaker as well. (Dallas has the tiebreaker on both of them.)
As for remaining schedules...
Detroit: @ Vancouver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Nashville, @ Dallas
Columbus: @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose, @ Dallas, Nashville
Dallas: Vancouver, @ St. Louis, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose, Columbus, Detroit
From a league-wide perspective, the big story will be the Red Wings, a team that’s made the playoffs 21 straight seasons. (Not to dismiss the Dallas and Columbus underdog stories, both of which are compelling.)
Detroit’s next game is Saturday in Vancouver -- a tough assignment, to be sure. But the Wings have beaten the Canucks twice this season, once 8-3 and the other 5-2.
“You’ve got to win your way in,” Wings head coach Mike Babcock told NHL.com.
“You can’t watch your way in. You’ve got to win your way in.”