After doubts began to arise that the Detroit Red Wings could make the playoffs once again, the Red Wings have come through in the clutch and secured at least a Wildcard spot. The Red Wings pulled off a comeback 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, sealing the deal. The win also gives the Wings two more key points in which they will need to hold off the Boston Bruins from the third spot in the division.
If the Red Wings can get the 3rd division slot, they will have to face off against former Red Wing Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. This would make for a fun, high-scoring series between two teams who score plenty of goals, with Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos being always a threat.
If the Red Wings clinch the first Wildcard spot, they would have to face division rival Montreal. The Canadians have a big advantage over Detroit, as Carey Price has been the league MVP according to some so far. For the Wings to have to face him with uncertainty in their own net - let's just say things would not look good for Detroit in round one.
Finally, if the Red Wings clinch the final Wildcard spot, they would have to face off against the President's Trophy-winning New York Rangers. The defending Eastern Conference champs have already clinched home ice throughout the whole postseason, and have done so with solid goaltending, good defense, and a scoring punch from many different weapons. Any team that goes against the Rangers in the first round will likely struggle to come out with more than one home win in the series, and the Red Wings could possibly get swept should they play New York twice in Madison Square Garden to start the playoffs out.
The Red Wings at least appear to have a postseason to look forward to, but how far they go in the postseason is solely determined by how they finish the regular season, and who they have to face in the first round of the playoffs.
If Datsyuk and Zetterberg can contribute like they did tonight, scoring a goal each, the Red Wings may very well have a chance to get past the first round of the playoffs. The team's sloppy defensive play in their own end must be improved come playoff time, as it led to another easy goal for Carolina tonight. If they want to go far in the playoffs, they must also improve on their passing and communication as well. The Wings have taken way too many penalties, including key too-many-men-on-the-ice penalties as of late.
These problematic areas need to be worked on by the Red Wings or they will continue to haunt the team entering the "new season," the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.