Red Wings' playoff pursuit takes a hit with a 4-1 loss to the already-eliminated Rangers
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3:22 PM on Saturday, April 4
By STEPHEN WHYNO
NEW YORK (AP) — Failing to score until there were 32 seconds left and allowing a hat trick to Gabriel Perreault, the Detroit Red Wings lost an important game in their pursuit of a playoff spot, 4-1 at the New York Rangers on Saturday.
With six games left, the Red Wings remain on the outside looking in as part of a competitive Eastern Conference race down the stretch. They are among a handful of teams fighting for the East's second and final wild-card spot.
Detroit's loss clinched a berth for the Buffalo Sabres, who ended the NHL's longest postseason drought at 14 seasons. Though his teammates came up empty on scoring, goaltender John Gibson made some big saves among his 17, playing well in his 14th consecutive start.
Gibson allowed a deflection goal to Jaroslav Chmelar 13 minutes in, then one each to Perreault in the second and third periods. The first came from close range after a perfect pass from Mika Zibanejad and the second off the rush.
Perreault finished off his first career hat trick with an empty-netter with 1:44 left.
Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin appeared to get banged up from a series of collisions and was in obvious pain on the bench in the second. Larkin returned and gutted through it, unsurprising given what's at stake.
The Rangers played spoiler with Jonathan Quick stopping 31 of 32 shots in his return from injury. Playing for the first time since March 18, the 40-year-old in the twilight of his career stopped Emmitt Finnie the shift after Chmelar scored, slid over to make a pad save on David Perron late in the first and got lucky when J.T. Compher's shot rang off the post and out with 13 minutes remaining.
Fans chanted “Quickie! Quickie!” in the final minutes of what could be Quick's final NHL game.
Red Wings: Host the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Rangers: Igor Shesterkin figures to get the nod at home against the Washington Capitals on Sunday night.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
