Red Wings’ Todd McLellan cites ‘playoff atmosphere’ in win over Canadiens as DeBrincat shines

Red Wings coach Todd McLellan praised the energy and intensity of Thursday’s game as Detroit defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 at Little Caesars Arena. “This was definitely a playoff atmosphere. On the ice, there were a lot of competitive battles and emotion, but you could feel it off the ice as well, there was so much energy in the building,” McLellan said according to NHL.com.

Alex DeBrincat shined for Detroit, scoring the go-ahead goal late in the third period and adding two assists. J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp also scored to keep the Red Wings tied with Montreal in points for third place in the Atlantic Division and level with the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference wild-card spots.

This was DeBrincat’s second straight three-point game, and his line with Compher and Patrick Kane has become Detroit’s primary scoring force since Dylan Larkin’s lower-body injury on March 6. Copp returned after missing three games and added an empty-net goal to seal the win.

DeBrincat leads Red Wings’ scoring line

DeBrincat’s five-game point streak, with nine points (one goal, eight assists), highlights his importance to Detroit’s playoff push. “(Compher) has been great since (Larkin) and (Copp) went out. He was filling in on Larkin’s line and now he’s playing with us and he’s been really good. Now we’ve got (Copp) back as well,” DeBrincat said.

Red Wings stay in playoff contention

The win keeps Detroit in a strong position for the postseason, tied in points with Montreal and the Bruins for the Eastern Conference wild-card spots. John Gibson’s 32 saves and the top line’s consistency reflect the competitive identity Todd McLellan expects from his team, showing Detroit can contend even without Larkin in the lineup.