The Detroit Red Wings have been eliminated from the 2025 playoff race and will miss the postseason for a ninth consecutive year.
That's how the math added up after the Montreal Canadiens extinguished the Wings' hopes Saturday once their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs went past regulation. The Leafs scored in overtime, but all the Habs needed was one point to reach 88 points. The Wings have 81, and with three games remaining, at most can reach 87 points.
The Wings (37-35-7) stayed alive by winning Friday at the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the Canadiens lost that night to the Ottawa Senators. But now all that's left for the Wings is to find motivation to play well their last three games.
They play their home finale Monday against the Dallas Stars, and finish on the road with a back-to-back: Wednesday at the New Jersey Devils and Thursday at the Leafs.
After the Wings lost at Montreal and at Florida, coach Todd McLellan challenged players to figure out what they're playing for the rest of the way: For each other, and the crest on their uniforms. They responded in Tampa, and the expectation will be that they continue to do so as the regular season comes to an end.
It was a tough Saturday for other teams, too, as both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders were eliminated from the race for a playoff spot, too.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings eliminated from playoffs for ninth straight year
