NHL clinching scenarios 2024: How does Detroit Red Wings' road to the playoffs look like?

The Detroit Red Wings are in a fight for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Red Wings are coming off a 5-4 OT win over the Toronto Maple Leafs which helped them stay in the race for the final wildcard spot from the East. The victory improved their record to 39-32-9, which is good for 87 points.

Detroit is 3-4-3 in its last 10. The Red Wings have two games left, both against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday and Tuesday.

Right now, the best they can finish with is 91 points with two wins against the Habs. The odds will be heavily in their favor as the Canadiens have once again had a season to forget ranking second to last in the Eastern Conference.

The Detroit Red Wings will have their work cutout ahead of them against the Canadiens

Ahead of the Red Wings in the wildcard hunt are the Washington Capitals, who also have 87 points and two games left, so once again a maximum of 91 points.

The Capitals play the Boston Bruins tonight and Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. In case of a tie, they would go through on account of more regulation wins, 30-27.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who quietly clawed their way back into the playoff picture currently have 86 points and could finish with 90 if they win their two final games, against the Nashville Predators and NY Islanders.

Thus, as things stand, Detroit would need to win both its games to get to 91 points. If they win or lose any of these, they run the risk of the Capitals and even the Penguins overtaking them in the standings.

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Detroit Red Wings laud their fanbase ahead of crucial home finale

With 2023/24 NHL regular season nearing it's climax, several teams will be taking to the ice ahead of their home fans for once last time ahead of the playoffs.

One such team are the Detroit Red Wings. The Atlantic Division side play their final home game of the regular season tonight when they take on the Canadiens.

German defenseman Moritz Seider reflected on how the atmosphere at Little Caesars Arena played a massive role in the team's performance this season,

"It's been special, for sure. The progress that we've been getting in the last couple months here, it's been tremendous and it's a big credit to the fans to show up every single night... It's definitely a big difference from when I started compared to right now."

Detroit are 22-13-5 this season at home, a noticable improvement over their record of 19-17-5 back in 2022/23. The team and their fans alike will hope that their new found home-form will translate when they the ice to face off against the Canadiens.