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TAMPA, Fla. — Pearl Jam's "Alive" was blasting at full volume as the Detroit Red Wings packed up and munched on pizza.
For at least the plane ride back to Detroit, and Saturday, they could enjoy having fanned their playoff hopes by going into Amalie Arena and beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, in overtime. If the Montreal Canadiens merely reach overtime Saturday when they play the Maple Leafs in Toronto, it's over for the Wings — but it wasn't over Friday, and it could have been with any kind of loss for the Wings.
"It shows a lot of character," goalie Alex Lyon said after making 18 saves. "It’s pretty evident where our position is now, so it’s just cool to play for the guy next to you. It feels good. Just incredibly resilient."
FRIDAY'S ACTION: Marco Kasper keeps Detroit Red Wings playoff hopes going with 4-3 OT victory
Marco Kasper was the hero, scoring in overtime and tying the game in the third period.
"It was really fun for us," he said. "We had a couple tough losses which hurt a lot. But we still want to be a team that a does our best every shift. We have to try to give it our all."
Patrick Kane and Tyler Motte also scored as the Wings played for the second time in two days. The fact they'd played Thursday, losing 4-1 at the Florida Panthers, nixed having a morning skate Friday.
Instead, there were meetings.
"Throughout the past little while, we’ve had great messages from the coaching staff to keep ourselves in it," Kane said. "The games mean something. You’re playing in the NHL, you want to be a professional, every game means something. You want to put it out there on the line for yourself, your teammates, the organization."
Coach Todd McLellan described the meetings as "good discussions about what we expected from each other There were a few guys that spoke up.
"We talked about what we expect from each other and reward each other with a win and a pretty good effort from the whole lineup. That’s a good sign for our team."
McLellan had challenged players to play for each other and the winged wheel crest on the uniform after their playoff hopes took a blow with losses on the first two stops on the trip.
"They showed each other a lot, not necessarily what they showed me," he said. "That’s way more important, that they play for their teammates. But they did respond.
"Anytime you win, especially in the situation that we’re in, you’ve got to enjoy it a little bit. It brings some fun back to the game."
The Wings have three games left: Monday's home finale against the Dallas Stars, then Wednesday at the New Jersey Devils and Thursday at the Leafs.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings extend playoff hopes by playing for each other
Continue reading...
For at least the plane ride back to Detroit, and Saturday, they could enjoy having fanned their playoff hopes by going into Amalie Arena and beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, in overtime. If the Montreal Canadiens merely reach overtime Saturday when they play the Maple Leafs in Toronto, it's over for the Wings — but it wasn't over Friday, and it could have been with any kind of loss for the Wings.
"It shows a lot of character," goalie Alex Lyon said after making 18 saves. "It’s pretty evident where our position is now, so it’s just cool to play for the guy next to you. It feels good. Just incredibly resilient."
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FRIDAY'S ACTION: Marco Kasper keeps Detroit Red Wings playoff hopes going with 4-3 OT victory
Marco Kasper was the hero, scoring in overtime and tying the game in the third period.
"It was really fun for us," he said. "We had a couple tough losses which hurt a lot. But we still want to be a team that a does our best every shift. We have to try to give it our all."
Patrick Kane and Tyler Motte also scored as the Wings played for the second time in two days. The fact they'd played Thursday, losing 4-1 at the Florida Panthers, nixed having a morning skate Friday.
Instead, there were meetings.
"Throughout the past little while, we’ve had great messages from the coaching staff to keep ourselves in it," Kane said. "The games mean something. You’re playing in the NHL, you want to be a professional, every game means something. You want to put it out there on the line for yourself, your teammates, the organization."
Coach Todd McLellan described the meetings as "good discussions about what we expected from each other There were a few guys that spoke up.
"We talked about what we expect from each other and reward each other with a win and a pretty good effort from the whole lineup. That’s a good sign for our team."
McLellan had challenged players to play for each other and the winged wheel crest on the uniform after their playoff hopes took a blow with losses on the first two stops on the trip.
"They showed each other a lot, not necessarily what they showed me," he said. "That’s way more important, that they play for their teammates. But they did respond.
"Anytime you win, especially in the situation that we’re in, you’ve got to enjoy it a little bit. It brings some fun back to the game."
The Wings have three games left: Monday's home finale against the Dallas Stars, then Wednesday at the New Jersey Devils and Thursday at the Leafs.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings extend playoff hopes by playing for each other
Continue reading...
