from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

The last time the Detroit Red Wings’ home finale meant something was eight years ago at Joe Louis Arena.

Tonight, Little Caesars Arena will be the site of the team’s most important game since 2016 with the Montreal Canadiens in town (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit Extra).

And the Red Wings expect a boost from the home crowd as they try to stay alive in the playoff chase.

“The atmosphere here has been remarkable for the two years I’ve been here,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “Last year when we didn’t have quite the same team after the deadline and we still had energetic crowds, found ways to win games down the stretch. This is new territory for our fans, too, to be involved this late with these meaningful games and they’ve certainly showed up and hopefully a boost tonight.”...

“I’m sure it’ll be on fire here,” Patrick Kane said. “The Joe was one of my favorite places to play as a road opponent. Coming in here and playing at the LCA, being on this side of it and playing as it being your home rink, I think it’s a special place to play. I love playing here, I think the fans have been great. The atmosphere is awesome.”

Kane has seen from his many years in Chicago at the boisterous United Center how much difference the crowd can make.

“I think you see it especially in playoffs,” Kane said. “You talk about home-ice advantage. I think it’s really a thing because everyone likes playing in front of their home crowd. You get that energy, that support behind you, it really helps motivate you and take that next step as a player. This is like a playoff game tonight, so I’m sure we’ll be using them as much as possible.”

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