The Red Wings aren’t dead yet.
With one regular season game left, the Detroit Red Wings are still actively in contention for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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The Red Wings enter the final game with 89 points, tied with the Washington Capitals, who own the tiebreaker with the Wings.
There are two ways the Red Wings can steal the spot from the Capitals. Here’s what needs to happen.
Red Wings wild card playoff scenarios
Wings win, Caps lose
If the Wings win their final game tonight in Montreal, gain two points and finish with 91 points, they’ll need Washington to lose its final game, also tonight, in any fashion, which would leave them with 90 points.
If this happens, the Wings are in. It’s as simple as that.
If Washington wins, the Wings are eliminated.
Wings lose in overtime, Caps lose, Pens lose
If the Caps lose in regulation and Detroit gets one point for an overtime loss, the Red Wings would have to wait for the result of Wednesday’s game between Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders.
The Wings would need the Islanders to win, keeping the Pens from 90 or 91 points, since they also own the tiebreaker vs. Detroit.
The Red Wings haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, where they got bounced in the first round vs. the Lightning.
A playoff berth would be a huge step forward for the Wings, who are in year five of a rebuild under Steve Yzerman.