from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

The Wings play at 7 p.m. Monday, the same time the Capitals host the Boston Bruins. If the Wings lose in regulation, they're eliminated, because then they max out at 89 points, and either the Capitals or the Philadelphia Flyers — who play each other Tuesday — will get to that amount, and both hold the tiebreaker over Detroit.

That might rattle some teams, but since the Wings endured a seven-game skid through March, they've learned the skill of resilience. They've gone through experiences like playing a strong team game and still losing to the New York Rangers, like going all-out against the Capitals and still losing, and bounced back time and again.

"I think that shows the compete and battle of this group," Lalonde said. "They stay composed, they never give up. They stay on it. It’s been impressive to watch. We’re not a perfect team, we’re far from it, we have a lot of flaws, and we’re building. It’s where we’re at. But this group — they stay in the fight. I’m pretty proud of them."

In the midst of playing five games in eight days, and going into a back-to-back, the Wings took Sunday off to rest and recharge. The path, as Lalonde likes to put it, remains open, and the Wings have a look about them that says they'll pave it to their best ability, foot on the gas, with the knowledge they may need to tip their hats.

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