The Detroit Red Wings are vying for the Eastern Conference’s second Wild-Card spot and face a pivotal match against the Montreal Canadiens. The team embarks on a three-game road trip, buoyed by recent victories over top Eastern Conference teams. It’s a critical time for their playoff hopes, with their game against Montreal at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night crucial to their aspirations.
“It’s a big game,” said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin. “Our season’s on the line. We’ve put ourselves in that position, whether good or bad, and we’re going into a hockey game where we’ve got to win, and that’s exciting. Great building to go into and have a game like that.”
Detroit, with 79 points (36-33-7), trails Montreal, which has 85 points (38-30-9) for the Wild-Card position, by six points but with one game in hand. The game, starting at 7 p.m., will have coverage on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and Fox 2, along with radio broadcast on 97.1 The Ticket.
Larkin noted the team’s success, “Cam Talbot just made some massive saves for us. I think the way we played after that Ottawa game [on March 27], when we gave up a lot of outnumbered rushes, we really focused on that, and I think it hasn’t taken away from our offense too much.”
Talbot will be in goal, making his fifth consecutive start for Detroit. Larkin praised Talbot’s recent performances, saying, “It’s everything this time of year when you get a guy that’s playing that way. He’s really been rock solid. He’s been a great addition to our locker room.”
Montreal, riding a five-game winning streak, is coming from a victory over the Nashville Predators. The Canadiens have significant contributions from Nick Suzuki, leading with 84 points, Cole Caufield with 66, and rookie Lane Hutson with 64.
“They have a lot of good young players obviously having really good years and playing very well as a team,” said Raymond about the Canadiens.
Goalie Sam Montembeault, with a 29-23-6 record, has a 2.85 goals-against average this season. Tuesday’s game marks the fourth meeting between these teams this year, with Montreal winning the previous two encounters.
Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan emphasized the importance of focus, “If we’re doing our job and we’re playing the way we can, we have to just focus on the next shift [on Tuesday] and worry about what we can control. And that sounds very much like a cliche. It’s the truth.”
