The Associated Press
Noah Trister
DETROIT—If the Detroit Red Wings make the playoffs for a 25th-straight year, they can thank Jimmy Howard.
Howard made 30 saves, and Darren Helm, Andreas Athanasiou, and Kyle Quincey scored, as the Red Wings took a step toward another post-season appearance with a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night.
The Red Wings (93 points) lead Boston (91) in the race for third place in the Atlantic Division.
Philadelphia (91) remains tied with the Bruins for the second wild card berth.
“I think it’s just the paying attention to detail,” Howard said.
“We’ve been a lot smarter with the puck—not forcing things and just taking what’s given,” he noted.
While teammate Petr Mrazek has struggled in net, Howard won all three of his starts this month.
Last night was his second shutout of the season.
The Flyers have three games left while Detroit and Boston have two each.
The Bruins host the Red Wings tonight—and a win would put Detroit in the playoffs.
“From day one, we’ve had to grind out wins. Everything’s been close,” noted Red Wings’ coach Jeff Blashill said.
“We’ve never been truly comfortable in a playoff spot,” he added.
“At times, we’ve been on the outside looking in.”
Helm scored in the first period before Athanasiou added a short-handed goal in the second for Detroit, which hasn’t missed the post-season since 1990.
Quincey’s goal was an empty-netter.
Detroit took a 1-0 lead on Helm’s goal.
Philadelphia’s Shayne Gostisbehere was trying to help clear the puck by flinging it around behind the net from near the corner, but instead it went toward the goal and bounced in front.
Helm was able to flip it past Flyers’ goalie Steve Mason for his 13th of the season.
An even more glaring mistake led to the second goal.
Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek let the puck get past him near the boards with the Flyers on the power play.
There was nobody back to prevent Athanasiou from going in alone on a breakaway—and his eighth goal of the season made it 2-0.
“They played a good game. We played a good game, too,” said Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux.
“They got a couple bounces. We had chances on the power play and at even strength.”
Mason made 23 saves. His most impressive sequence came in the second when he stopped a breakaway by Helm, then recovered in time to deny Luke Glendening’s follow-up attempt.
Voracek hit the crossbar with a wrist shot in the second—and that’s the closest the Flyers came to beating Howard.
The Flyers next host Toronto tonight.
“We didn’t get the job done so we just have to pivot real quick and look at the two points [Thursday] night,” stressed Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol.
Elsewhere in the NHL, Columbus beat Toronto 5-1 and Edmonton dumped Vancouver 6-2.
