Red Wings vs. Canadiens: Tuesday's Bell Centre Game Can Secure Playoff Hopes After Panthers Win

This game is the Red Wings' biggest of the season, and if you may not understand why just take a look at the current Wild Card standings in the NHL Eastern Conference.

Detroit was once already in the Canadiens' current Wild Card spot but fell out, and Steve Yzerman brought in zero reinforcements at the NHL trade deadline which continued to lead to their downfall while teams around impressed.

Detroit hoped to be just two points behind Montreal going into this game, giving them a shot to catch up for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

But that didn't happen.

While Detroit beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Sunday, Montreal also won 2-1 against the Nashville Predators, marking their fifth win in a row.

Now, Montreal has a six-point lead over Detroit.

The Red Wings have gone 3-0-1 in their last four games, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

said Alex DeBrincat, who scored a key power-play goal against Florida. If Detroit wins, they'd be four points behind Montreal with one extra game to play.

Detroit has six games left, while Montreal has five.

DeBrincat stated.

If Detroit misses the playoffs for the ninth straight year, people will ask tough questions.

What went wrong in March when they lost a lot? Should the coaching change have been made sooner?

For now, though, the Red Wings feel good about their recent play. They've only allowed seven goals in their last four games, beating strong teams like Carolina and Florida, thanks to the stellar play of Cam Talbot.

He's been key to keeping Detroit in the race.

coach Todd McLellan said. Despite a tough schedule, the Red Wings are finding ways to earn points, and we can only hope it leads to a playoff clinch.