Red Wings knocked out
The Detroit Red Wings were eliminated after a loss to the New Jersey Devils, who rallied with three third‑period goals to turn the game and send Detroit out of playoff contention. ( )
Detroit’s playoff chase ended Saturday night, when a 5-3 home loss to New Jersey pushed the Red Wings out of Stanley Cup contention. (nhl.com) The Red Wings led 3-2 early in the third period at Little Caesars Arena after Emmitt Finnie scored at 7:00, but Cody Glass tied it at 11:18 and Jesper Bratt put New Jersey ahead at 16:26. Dawson Mercer added an empty-net goal with 59.3 seconds left. (nhl.com) Bratt finished with two goals, Jack Hughes had two assists, and Jake Allen stopped 20 shots for the Devils. Detroit got goals from Justin Faulk, Alex DeBrincat and Finnie, while Petr Mrazek made 18 saves. (apnews.com) Detroit entered April 11 needing help and almost no margin for error. A Red Wings loss clinched Eastern Conference playoff spots for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins and left Detroit on the outside again. (freep.com, usatoday.com) The result stretched Detroit’s playoff drought to 10 seasons. The franchise last reached the postseason in 2016, and it has not won a playoff series since 2013. (usatoday.com, espn.com) Detroit had stayed alive into the season’s final week despite a late slide. The Free Press reported before puck drop that the Red Wings needed to win out and get losses from teams above them in the wild-card race. (freep.com) The collapse Saturday was blunt: Detroit held one-goal leads three different times, and New Jersey answered every one. The loudest swing came after Finnie’s go-ahead goal, when the Devils scored three times in the last 8:42. (mlive.com, nhl.com) Detroit still has games left in the regular season, including a trip to Tampa Bay on Monday, but the standings no longer offer a path in. The Red Wings opened the night with hope and left it with another summer starting early. (espn.com, nhl.com)
