The Red Wings likely saw their playoff hopes end for the second consecutive season Tuesday in Montreal.
The Canadiens’ Josh Anderson scored his 15th goal midway in the third period, snapping a tie, and Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki scored empty-net goals, sending Montreal to a 4-1 victory.
With the win, Montreal pretty much sewed up the second and final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. The Canadiens moved to an eight-point lead over the Wings, New York Rangers and Columbus (87-79). Montreal has four games left, while the trailing three teams have five games left.
The Wings were eliminated on the final night of the regular season last year in Montreal, on a tiebreaker, despite defeating the Canadiens.
This time, there’s no margin for error left for the Wings, who Tuesday were largely the better team for most of the evening, out-shot Montreal 36-21, but a bad break ultimately stung them.
Wings defenseman Albert Johansson lost his helmet on a collision behind the net. Knowing a penalty could be forthcoming if he continued on the play, Johansson started for the bench, leaving Anderson alone in front. Anderson converted Christian Dvorak’s pass past goaltender Cam Talbot, at 10 minutes, 48 seconds.
BOX SCORE: Canadiens 4, Red Wings 1
“You couldn’t draw it up worse than that for us,” coach Todd McLellan told FDSN after the game about the deciding play.
The Wings pressed and had a power play late in the third period. But the Wings failed to convert for the third time in the game.
“The power play was really ineffective,” McLellan said. “Nothing going on there and we rely on it a lot.”
The Wings had prime scoring opportunities of their own in the third period. Lucas Raymond fired wide on a partial breakaway and J.T. Compher missed an open net during a scramble.
That second goal, that could have helped the Wings at least earn a point, or potentially send the game into overtime and possibly earn another valuable point, just never materialized.
“We did a lot of good things, except for that second goal,” captain Dylan Larkin, who scored the lone Wings goal, told FDSN. “It’s fresh right now, you think about it and replay it. It’s hard after a game that big. Some big missed chances. Everyone was going and everyone played well. We just got a little safe in the third period. We were down a goal and we pushed (but) it was too late.”
Gallagher scored into an empty net at 18:54, his 21st goal, and Suzuki scored his 28th at 19:07 to clinch Montreal’s sixth consecutive victory.
The Wings outshot Montreal, 23-4, in the first period, one of the best 20 minutes of hockey the Wings played this season.
“Got to be proud of our start and effort,” forward Patrick Kane told FDSN. “It’s just about execution. It’s hockey. Some games are like that. You control the play and dominate the first 20 minutes and we’re still in a good spot with a one-goal lead. But it would have been nice to get that second one.”
Montreal’s Cole Caufield scored his 37th goal late in the second period, tying the game at 1-1.
Caufield, the smallest skater on the ice, got into the net-front and backhanded a puck past Talbot at 16:29.
The goal after the Wings killed two Canadiens’ power plays – the last eight overall – and appeared to be taking further control of the game. But Caufield, one of the Canadiens’ flourishing young stars, got Montreal to even.
The Wings took an early lead on Larkin’s first goal in nine games.
After a bad pinch by Montreal, the Wings took off on a three-on-one rush with Kane handling the puck. Kane got to the circle and fed a driving Larkin, who tapped the puck past goaltender Sam Montembeault for Larkin’s 29th goal.
The Wings (36-34-7) saw their four-game point streak end, and now have back-to-back road games Thursday in Florida and Friday in Tampa.
“You look around the room and a lot of guys took this one pretty hard,” Larkin said. “It’s about regrouping and moving on and doing what you need to do to be ready for our next game in Florida.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
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