The Red Wings missed the playoffs despite beating the Canadiens 5-4

Patrick Kane scored the shootout winner in Detroit's 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Tuesday's regular-season finale, but the Red Wings were eliminated from playoff contention.

The Red Wings entered the night tied with Washington for the second wild card in the East with 89 points. However, the Capitals rallied to beat Detroit and clinch the final playoff spot with a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

Detroit has missed the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons.

Daniel Sprong had a goal and an assist, while Moritz Seider, Joe Veleno and David Perron also scored for Detroit (41-32-9). The Red Wings defeated the Canadiens a day earlier in a dramatic 5-4 overtime win on home ice as Lucas Raymond scored the game-tying goal on the goalie before burying the overtime winner.

James Reimer stopped 29 shots.

Brendan Gallagher and Juraj Slafkowski each had a goal and an assist, while Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield scored for Montreal (30-36-16). Cayden Prayo made 36 saves.

Canadiens fans got their first look at future blueliners in the organization. Logan Maillu made his NHL debut after spending the entire season with the Laval Rockets of the American Hockey League. The 21-year-old had one assist for his first NHL point.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Layne Hutson showed off his moves, received a standing ovation and, playing at the Bell Center for the first time, scored a crucial assist. He made his Detroit debut on Monday, where he had one assist.

Down 3-2 after 40 minutes, the Red Wings tied the game 3:31 into the third period.

Slafkowski put Montreal ahead with his 20th of the season, returning Hutson's punt at 12:46.

With their season winding down, the Red Wings left the goalie with 1:48 left in hopes of repeating Monday's postgame comeback. And they did.

After Montreal froze the puck, Perron scored with 3.3 seconds left on a one-timer from the point to force overtime and keep the Red Wings' season alive for a moment.

Newhook opened the scoring with 11:32 left in the first period. Mailloux sent a stretch pass to Gallagher, who fed Newhook for a 2-on-1 one-timer.

Moritz Seider tied the game with 1:31 left on a rebound from David Savard.

Montreal took the lead for the second time at 6:17, when Gallagher fired home a goal-line deflection off Joel Armia's Reimer.

Newhoek scored his second goal midway through the game, but his shot hit the post after a slick move on the side wall.

Caufield doubled the lead with his 28th of the game at 10:09. After a layup by Nick Suzuki, Reimer stretched the pad to rob Juraj Slafkowski of a one-timer, but Caufield was on the doorstep to bury the putback.

Veleno put Detroit back in the lead 36 seconds later, scoring off a fumbled Prayo on a delay penalty in Montreal.

Later in the period, Reimer gave up a one-timer by Caufield to keep the Red Wings' deficit at one, losing his stick in the process and stretching out to save a highlight reel blocker.

Debut of Mailloux

Mailloux was recalled by the Canadiens on Monday night and needed official NHL clearance to play on Tuesday.

Windsor, Ont. In 2020, Swedish authorities fined the native after pleading guilty to two counts of sharing a photo of a woman performing a sexual act without her consent.

Montreal, under then-general manager Marc Bergevin, was heavily criticized for drafting Mailloux with the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft despite the blueliner's public plea not to be selected.

Are the worlds connected?

If healthy, Canadiens defenseman Kayden Goulet said he will represent Canada at the World Cup in the Czech Republic from May 10-26.

The 22-year-old from Edmonton missed the final seven games of the season with a head injury, he said. Guhle scored 22 points in 70 games.

“That's the plan,” Goulet said before the game. “It's always an honor to wear the Maple Leaf and I've always thought it was a great, different world scenario that allowed guys to play some meaningful games that they didn't really have the opportunity to do.”

This Canadian Press report was first published on April 16, 2024.