from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
It will be the eighth consecutive season the Wings miss the playoffs.
"It’s hard, gutting," captain Dylan Larkin said. "We're pretty sad in here, just to see it come to an end. It's very sad, very hard."
The Wings found out about Washington's victory just before the shootout.
"We are you going to do, you know?" said an emotional Larkin.
Still, the way the Wings closed the season earning seven of a possible eight points and displaying amazing resiliency was a big step forward for the organization and may indicate better days ahead.
"Be proud of their effort, leave this rink with your head up," said coach Derek Lalonde of what his post-game message was. "It's a positive narrative about the group all year long, especially down the stetch. They played for each other. It was all about the team.
"I feel awful for the guys because they literally gave everything they had. It's gut-wrenching for the group. I'm proud of them, I don't know what more this group could have done."
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Below watch the post-game interviews.
from Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News,
The Wings are gonna feel this sting for a while, and should feel the regret too. Not because theyre a powerhouse that should be in the playoffs (they arent). Theyre gonna regret it because they showed flashes and won games in riveting fashion. They had a chance, lots and lots of chances, to alter a narrative and break a humbling streak, and wasted it.
They missed the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season, the second-longest drought in the NHL, and that needs to end next year, no excuses. They missed a chance to gain valuable experience and give a more-tangible boost to Steve Yzermans long-term plan. They tied Washington for the final playoff spot with 91 points each, but lost on the tiebreaker. Yes, the same Washington team that beat the Wings in Detroit 2-1 last week.
By the end, the Wings were skating furiously, desperately, as if trying to catch a departing bus. They completed remarkable comebacks on consecutive nights against Montreal, and when David Perron tied it with 3.3 seconds left Tuesday night, destiny knocked.
The lesson here is a painful one. Knock sooner....
Did they show growth in their second season under Derek Lalonde? Yes, from 80 points to 91. From a minus-39 goal differential to plus-4. They alternated collapses with stirring rebounds second in the league with 14 third-period comebacks but it wasnt enough.
Lets be clear here. This isnt the end of anything, although it stalls, yet again, the start of something. Going forward, marginal progress will not be enough. Im not doing revisionism here. The Wings werent considered a playoff team before the season, and even when they built an eight-point cushion in late-February, their flaws were apparent.
But playoffs-or-bust must be the goal now, after five years of the Yzer-plan. One brutal seven-game losing streak in March, and one injury that sidelined Larkin for eight games, during which the Wings went 2-5-1, ultimately doomed them. They cant keep living in those dangerous margins, which means Yzerman needs to bolster the defense, make a shrewd signing or two, and solve his goaltending riddle. Alex Lyon, James Reimer and the injured Ville Husso present options, not definitive answers.
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Lets be clear here. This isnt the end of anything, although it stalls, yet again, the start of something.
At the close of the Battle of Britain during WWII, Winston Churchill famously said, "This isn't the end (of the war). It isn't even the beginning of the end. But it may well be the end of the beginning."
And that's pretty much what this year was for the Wings. It was the beginning of the end of the rebuild. Now they need to reorganize (and "retool") for the next stage of the battle.
If the Wings pick at #15 this year, we can take heart that 10 years ago, Ken Holland actually made an intelligent pick at that spot when the Wings took Dylan Larkin. And I sure have a lot more faith in Yzerman's drafting than I ever did in Tick Tock's.
Great analogy and quote 😊 .
i saw a stat that said they were the best team at converting their chances but only middling at creating them. among the worst in the league at creating off the rush, because they dont create off the rush. period.
barring change, theres no reason right now to think theyll make it in next year. wouldnt be surprised if they were worse.
again, barring change. this team was likely a 4-2 loser in the first round anyway, but its experience and a reward for a good season. they didnt get that done. much as they fought, they had a shot at WC1 and maybe a run.
time to focus on the cap and the draft etc etc. was still entertained by the teams ups and downs. better this outcome than being checked out by the first week of march.
also, these guys can find me! i say it every year: id sell my law firm and go only to Detroit to get my and their names on the Cup again! :)
If they can re-sign some players like Fischer that would be nice. Kane re-signing would be nice.
Steve Yzerman has work to do:
1) Goal-tender.
2) A defenseman.
3) A forward.
4) Add more Yutes.
5) Buyout(s).
6) Trades.
I think you are missing the #1 on the off-season list:
1) Getting RFA signed to reasonable deals (esp Raymond and Seider)
Missing the playoffs on an empty netter in the other game has to be the most stupid way to miss the playoffs, but we had chances, many chances not to even be in this situation.
Making playoffs next season might be even more difficult than this year. 6 out of 8 playoff teams are not going anywhere. Islanders, Pneguins will be competing too. Ottawa, Buffalo, Devils and even Montreal will probably be a lot better next year.
You can blame the empty netter, but I blame the two losses to the AHL franchise Arizona Coyotes and the vets that played like rookies down the stretch.
Hopefully, not. Steve Yzerman has work to do for sure.
Maybe something else that needs to be addressed (league-wide) is the playoff criteria. Right now, the team that's in is 40-42 on the season, and the team that's out is 41-41 on the season. RW should be the 2nd tie-breaker, not the 1st. The first tie-breaker should be combined RW & ROW. That's what shows which team won the most games.
It should be that you get 1 point for a win in any fashion, and zero points for a loss in any fashion. Why is a game going overtime worth more to the loser and less to the winner? I see no sense in that. The point system was to factor in ties. Gary got rid of those. The point system is a relic.
As much as it hurts that our season is done, Washington deserves it more. They have a better record outside of skill comps (3on3 and S/O). I think it's silly that the NHL creates a point out of thin air and treat an OT victory the same as a regulation win. If the NHL would go to 3 points for regulation victory, 2 for OT/SO win, 1 for OT/SO loss system, the playoff picture would look like this (tie breaker being RW)
M3. Washington 123
W1. Tampa 132
W2. Pittsburgh 120 (have a game left) - tiebreaker RW
9. Islanders 120 (have a game left)
10. Detroit 118
11. Flyers 117
This system rewards teams that do not go to OT. And I think that should be encouraged.
Well, there's a valid argument to be made for that approach as well. I guess there really isn't a perfect system.
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