It would have been hard Thursday night to make the case the Detroit Red Wings deserve to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs for a 25th consecutive season.
But they just might make it anyway.
In a critical game against the Boston Bruins, the Wings weren’t even close. They trailed 2-0 early, were down 3-1 after 40 minutes and 5-1 early in the third when head coach Jeff Blashill had pity on starting goalie Jimmy Howard and yanked him in favour of Petr Mrazek.
The final 34-15 margin in shots in favour of the Bruins was accurately reflected in a 5-2 Boston triumph. It was all good for the Bruins, as even Torey Krug found the net for the first time in 54 games.
But here’s the good part for the Wings. They still control their own fate.
All they need to do is beat the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, either in regulation or overtime, and they’ll make the playoffs. That would give them 25 straight years, and keep them still well ahead of the NBA San Antonio Spurs, who will make the playoffs for a 19th straight campaign.
It would tie the Wings with St. Louis for the third-longest streak of making the playoffs, with only Chicago (28 years) and Boston (29 years) holding streaks longer than that.
Even if the Wings lose, they can still make the playoffs if Boston also loses. Or, if they lose in overtime or a shootout and Bruins win, Detroit can still qualify if Philly loses one of its two final games.
So, if you can ignore the fact that on Thursday night the Wings only managed two shots in the second half of the game and were completely outplayed, well, hope is still alive, right?
The pride the Wings showed in making the playoffs that was on display at home against the Flyers on Wednesday simply wasn’t there in Boston. Even worse, Justin Abdelkader left the game in the third with a lower-body injury.
It’s pretty clear this Detroit team isn’t the same squad that nearly knocked off Tampa Bay in the first round last year.
Rumours surround the future of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg hasn’t scored in 10 games and only has 13 goals on the season, and head coach Jeff Blashill is having trouble deciding which of his young players he wants to play and which goalie gives his team the best chance to win.
Howard seems likely to get the start against the Rangers. But that’s not even clear.
Other than the “race” for 30th place, this is about the only dramatic playoff chase the NHL has going in the final days of the 2015-16 season.
On Thursday, the Bruins looked the most deserving, with the Wings outclassed and the Flyers beaten at home by the awful Toronto Maple Leafs.
Still, it’s Detroit that controls its own fate. One more strong effort, and the 25-year-old chain will not be broken.
