Red Wings' Patrick Kane, Dylan Larkin reflect on crushing defeat to Canadiens amid playoff struggles

With their playoff hopes on the line, the Detroit Red Wings gave it their all to keep their NHL postseason dreams alive. However, a crushing 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night severely damaged their chances.

The Red Wings now trail the Canadiens by eight points for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite the uphill battle, with five games left in the regular season, there is still a slim chance for Detroit.

“This just makes our road a little harder,” said Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, according to NHL.com. “Anything can happen. Look at what has gone on since the Trade Deadline in our conference. We got to win. It’s a tough back-to-back [on Thursday and Friday] and tough matchups the rest of the way. If we play like that tonight, I think we’re going to win some hockey games down the stretch.”

Missed opportunities and a costly mistake doom Detroit

Despite Larkin’s goal, which moved him one shy of his fourth consecutive 30-goal season, the Red Wings couldn’t capitalize on early dominance. The captain also surpassed Reed Larson to become the highest-scoring American-born player in Red Wings history with 571 points.

“That’s hockey, right? Some games are like that, where you control the play,” Red Wings star Patrick Kane said. “We dominated the first 20 minutes and we’re still in a good spot with a one-goal lead but it would have been nice to get that second one.”

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Larkin’s reflection on bitter defeat and the way forward

“Yeah, it lingers. It’s fresh right now. You think about it, replay it, and it’s hard after a game that big. Some big missed chances. I thought everyone was going tonight and played well, but we just got a little safe in the third period until we were down a goal, then we pushed, and it was too little, too late,” Larkin lamented regarding missed opportunities.

On the message following Tuesday’s setback, Larkin added: “You look around the room and there’s a lot of guys who took this one pretty hard. It’s about regrouping, moving on and doing what you need to do to be ready for our next game in Florida.”

What’s next for the Red Wings?

The Red Wings’ next challenge will come on Thursday night, when they face the Florida Panthers to begin a back-to-back set on their current three-game road trip. The Montreal loss has greatly complicated their playoff hopes, but the NHL team remains determined to regroup and take advantage of the remaining games in an attempt to keep their playoff dreams alive.