The Eastern Conference playoff race is coming right down to the wire.
The Detroit Red Wings, fighting for a 25th consecutive Stanley Cup playoff appearance, remain in the hunt after they held on to defeat the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2 on Friday. Riley Sheahan got credit for the winner while Jimmy Howard stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced.
Minnesota still maintains its Wild Card spot in the West, despite the loss. Whether the Colorado Avalanche can close the gap, which stood at five points, depends first on how they do against the league-leading Washington Capitals on Friday.
Now, because of this result, Detroit, at least temporarily, took over third in the Atlantic Division ahead of the Boston Bruins. (The Bruins, who for the moment moved out of a playoff spot, were winning, with a two-goal lead over St. Louis in the third period as of this post.)