Detroit: The Detroit Red Wings are doing what they can to cling onto mathematical hopes of extending their play-off streak to 26.
Andreas Athanasiou scored 1:52 into overtime on a breakaway, lifting the Red Wings to a 3-2 win on Sunday over the reeling Minnesota Wild.
Detroit, the Atlantic Division’s last-place team, started the day 14 points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot with two weeks left in the regular season. The Red Wings are 4-1-1 in their last six games after a 23-game stretch in which they won just six games.
“We’re just trying to play hard and win the rest of our games,” Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader said. “The guys have a lot of pride.”
Jimmy Howard made the game-winning goal possible by making the last of his 24 saves in overtime. Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist got the rebound near Howard and made a long pass to set up Athanasiou, who faked out Devan Dubnyk with a move to his backhand before flipping the puck in the net.
“He’s fast and he’s got unreal quick hands at that full speed,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “It’s hard to defend.”
The Wild played well defensively, holding Detroit to just three shots in the third period and 19 overall, but lost for the eighth time in nine games and dropped to 3-10-1.
“That’s the best game we’ve played in a month,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Even though the Wild also lost Saturday, they clinched a spot in the play-offs later in the night when Los Angeles lost to the New York Rangers.
