from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
At Washington to face to Capitals, Detroit is trailing the Caps by one point for the second Eastern Conference wild card spot. Making matters more concerning for the Wings, the Capitals are also holding a game in hand over Detroit.
“It’s exciting, it’s a fun time of year,” said Detroit forward Patrick Kane, a three-time Stanley Cup winner. “It’s almost like you’re in playoffs right now, even though we have 11 games left.
“You look at (this) like a playoff game. Obviously it’s the team ahead of us in the standings. If we beat them, we’re in a playoff spot. They have a game in hand and they’re playing really well right now, so it’ll be a good test for us.”
Alex Lyon will be in goal for the Red Wings, making his second consecutive start. He’s lost his last eight decisions.
“I just try to keep the same mentality, keep positive,” Lyon said. “It’s very difficult but those are the important things. You’re gonna change your game all the time. You’re always gonna be tweaking the way you feel. How’s my body feeling, how’s my brain feeling, my emotions? But the most important thing is to just continue to fight. Keeping that fight and that energy is vital.”
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
"I just love this time of year because you put all your issues aside and theres just one thing, and its hockey," Lyon said Monday. "And I really love that, and I love that feeling. And so whether the ups and downs come, you just have to embrace it and lay it on the line every day and thats what it is about.
"It is intense, but its also one of the most treasured times of the year for me."
Lyon will make his second straight start because he had a good outing in Saturday's 1-0 loss at the Nashville Predators. So did his teammates, who gave a strong defensive effort.
"There were definitely some good things from the game," J.T. Compher said. "We need to create a little more offensively and not be selective with our shots, but defensively, there were a lot of good things."
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