PHOTO: TT News Agency
Detroit is keeping its hopes of an NHL playoff spot alive heading into the final game of the regular season. They can thank Swedish Lucas Raymond for that.
Lucas Raymond contributed greatly to Detroit turning the deficit against Montreal. He tied the game at 4–4 with not much more than a minute left in the third period and scored the winning goal in overtime.
– I almost had a blackout, says Raymond after the game about how he felt when the home fans jumped like crazy and the teammates threw themselves over him.
– He has grown so much this season and become a player who loves when things get hot, says the coach Derek Lalonde after the match for Frölundasonen Raymond and adds:
– It didn’t go his way at the start today, but he kept fighting and scored two fantastic goals.
The article continues below.
While the New York Islanders secured third place and thus the playoffs – Pierre Engvall accounted for two assists – by winning against New Jersey, the battle for the last, only remaining place in the playoffs for the Stanley Cup trophy, a so-called wild card, tightens.
The fight is primarily between Lucas Raymond’s Detroit and Washington. But Pittsburgh, with the big back Erik Karlssonalso has some chance, despite the fact that for a long time it looked as if the team’s chances for the playoffs seemed over.
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Heading into the teams’ final regular season games, Washington and Detroit both have 89 points and Pittsburgh has 88. Philadelphia is next at 87.
If Detroit wins Tuesday night’s (US time) game against Montreal and Washington loses against Philadelphia, Detroit is playoff-ready.
Pittsburgh will have to wait and see how the other teams fare to know if the chance remains when they play their final game on Wednesday.
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