New York. The Detroit Red Wings are suddenly in the playoff race — seriously.
After a 3-1 win over Washington, they now have just two points on the line — and four games fewer than most of their rivals.
– We’re riding a pretty good wave right now. Top scorer Robert Haag tells Sportbladet it’s about continuing in the same way now.
He really took a great turn, Detroit Red Wings season.
In late February they were effectively suspended, but since then they’ve won a whole bunch of matches – while the teams at the top of the queue lose and lose. Suddenly they are just two points short of last place for the Wild Cards – with four games fewer than the New York Islanders and Florida and three games fewer than Washington.
– Yes, there is a huge difference. Recently, there has only been talk about who will be drafted before the deadline. You don’t hear anything about that anymore. “We are already there,” Swedish defender Robert Haag said by phone from Washington.
continued:
– What happened? It’s hard to point out something specific, it’s about small details and it may have taken a while with a brand new coaching staff. We are simply riding a good wave at the moment. Of course, it’s so much fun, to play games that mean so much, and each of us now feels like partisan games. Now it’s just a matter of continuing in the same way.
Against Washington, many fans feared the night was over when team captain Dylan Larkin received a penalty midway through the first half for a check on TJ O’Shea’s header, but during the ensuing five-minute numerical deficit Detroit took the lead instead. that. It was 2-0 – then they pulled back and won 3-1 in the end.
Very typical for our team after all. Losing Larkin was of course his big break, he was absolutely amazing. But somehow we found a way to win again, Ruban notes.
Which he himself has primarily defensive duties, but last night he slammed the puck – his first of the season.
– Tyler Bertuzzi gets a pass from the corner and I’m in the right place. Then I aimed high and shot low. I guess that’s how I’ll do it in the future, laughs the 28-year-old highlander.
For capitals, the situation is currently more serious. It was their fifth straight night loss and they are still at the same score as the Wings and they are. Because they have three other games played as well.
– It’s starting to tighten, we have to find ways to win such matches rather than lose them, muttered coach Peter Laviolette.
Niklas Backstrom and Erik Gustafsson assisted on Tom Wilson’s consolation goal.