Detroit — When it’s all said and done this season, the Red Wings likely accomplished one of their biggest goals.
The Wings wanted to play meaningful games until deep into the season. They have and did. You can debate how close the Wings really were to the playoffs these last several weeks, but mathematically they were still in the race.
On Thursday, all the mathematics ended when the Wings lost, 7-6, in a shootout to Buffalo at Little Caesars Arena. Coupled with victories by Florida and the New York Islanders, the Wings aren’t going to be able to finish in the top eight of the Eastern Conference.
But it took until the completion of the 78th game this season. There are only four games left.
BOX SCORE: Sabres 7, Red Wings 6 (SO)
It was the seventh consecutive season the Wings have missed the playoffs. The last time the Wings made the playoffs was 2015-16, when they lost in five games in the first round to Tampa.
But the Wings feel they took a meaningful step this season.
“It’s certainly the closest we’ve been in a long time,” said captain Dylan Larkin, who had a goal and assist. “You saw the emotion around the trade deadline and that stung our locker room for a while. It took a few weeks to dig ourselves out of that and kind of feel normal again. It’s hard when you lose that many guys, but the guys who’ve come up, and we’ve had a lot of injuries as well, have done a great job battling.”
David Perron tied the game at 6 with his 23rd goal, blasting a one-timer off a Moritz Seider feed at 19 minutes of the third period.
After an exciting, but scoreless, overtime, the Sabres won the shootout, 2-1.
Fittingly, the Wings didn’t go down easy with playoff elimination looming.
“We just kept battling, as we’ve done all year,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “We kept battling down 4-2, 6-4. It was a game not going our way with the way some things were doing. We couldn’t keep it out of our net and we were the ones hitting the goal post and pucks not going in, but we hung in there.
“It’s a real good point. It’ll feel like we deserved both of them, but a good point (earned).”
Lalonde credited his players with the way they fought and competed beyond the trade deadline, when trades and injuries decimated the roster.
“Eliminated on what, the 78th game?” Lalonde said. “With what happened at the deadline, with injuries, the guys kept battling and no doubt it’s a positive on the big picture.”
Buffalo broke a 4-all tie with Chad Greenway and Dylan Cozens scoring goals 1 minute, 12 seconds apart early in the third period.
Jonatan Berggren’s 15th goal cut the lead to 6-5 at 8:02, tapping in Matt Luff’s pass.
Austin Czarnik, Larkin (power play), Alex Chiasson (power play) and Simon Edvinsson had the other goals for the Wings (35-33-10, 80 points).
Cozens had two goals (one power play), and Tage Thompson, Henri Jokiharju, Zemgus Girgensons and Greenway answered with Buffalo goals.
The Sabres (38-32-7, 83 points) swept the four-game season series from the Wings.
“The opponent we’re playing, look at what they’re building,” Lalonde said. “Talk about a perfect example of a rebuild. That will be a loaded contender for a decade, and that’s a team we’re going to be dealing with within the division. They take all eight points (from the Wings) and we take two. They’re up three points on us just within the division. That’s the difference. They’re still playing for something and we officially got eliminated.”
Added Larkin: “We’re going to be battling with these guys, and we weren’t good against them this year. But (Thursday) was certainly better, a better battle level, and we were much more engaged.”
Larkin’s goal was his 32nd, tying his career high. Larkin has already established a career high in points with 78.
“He’s been great all year long,” Lalonde said. “He’s battling and playing the game the right way. I’m not surprised it’s a career year for him. But the little thing within his game, managing the puck and eliminating turnovers, the way he’s in the defensive zone and improvement in the defensive zone, and we’re asking him to play top-four on the penalty kill, he’s doing a lot of really good things.
“I’m glad he’s getting rewarded with a career year.”
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