Red Wings keep hope alive with OT win

Field Level Media|published: Mon 15th April, 22:12 2024

Apr 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) celebrates with center Dylan Larkin (71) after he scores in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. credits: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Lucas Raymond scored with 24.4 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 5-4 home win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

Detroit (40-32-9, 89 points) rallied from a 4-1 deficit to stay alive for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Four teams are within two points of that final wild-card slot, each team having one game left on the schedule.

The Red Wings are tied in points with the Washington Capitals, with the Pittsburgh Penguins one point behind and the Philadelphia Flyers at 87 points.

Trailing 4-2 in the third period, Detroit cut Montreal's lead to 4-3 with 9:22 remaining when Alex DeBrincat one-timed a shot from the right face-off circle over the glove of Montreal goalie Sam Montembeault.

Detroit pulled goalie Alex Lyon with 2:20 remaining and, after extensive pressure in the Montreal zone, tied the game at 4-4 with 1:17 left when Raymond got free in front of Montembeault and beat him glove side.

In the overtime, Raymond took a pass from Dylan Larkin on a rush and beat Montembeault with a shot from the right face-off circle.

J.T. Compher also scored twice for Detroit.

Brendan Gallagher scored two goals in defeat for Montreal (30-36-15, 75 points) in the first of back-to-back meetings between the teams to close the regular season.

The teams will meet again on Tuesday in Montreal.

The Canadiens opened the scoring 4:25 in the game on a goal by Gallagher, and then made it 2-0 just 1:50 later on a goal by Justin Barron.

Compher scored with 11:49 remaining the first to cut Montreal's lead to 2-1 — where the score stood at the end of one period. But Montreal took a 3-1 lead with 14:45 left in the second on a goal by Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who took a pass from Jake Evans in the slot and beat Lyon to the stick side.

Gallagher then gave Montreal a 4-1 lead with 4:34 remaining in the second when he jumped on a loose puck that came out in front of the goal following a Detroit turnover behind the net and buried the chance past Lyon.

Detroit answered 34 seconds later when Compher snuck behind the Montreal defense, took a cross-ice pass from David Perron and finished the chance in front of Montembeault to make it 4-2.

—Field Level Media