Detroit — The Red Wings keep surviving and staying in this playoff race in dramatic and remarkable fashion.
Lucas Raymond scored the overtime winner with 24.4 seconds left, after scoring the game-tying goal late in regulation time, giving the Wings an exciting 5-4 victory over Montreal.
The Wings rallied from a 4-1 deficit with just over four minutes left in the second period — 4-2 entering the third period — and rallied to win after trailing in the third period for the 13th time this season.
"A lot of emotions up and down," said Raymond, who has been spectacular for in late season surge. "We found a way to get two points which is huge. We don't want to put ourselves in those positions, but we've handled it pretty good."
Raymond came down with Dylan Larkin on a two-on-break and blasted the game-winner, his 31st goal, past goaltender Sam Montembeault.
"I just saw Larks up the ice and thought he'd going for a breakaway first," said Raymond of the game-winning goal. "But he was probably pretty tired and I just tried to jump back (in) and I was pretty tired but I tried to get the shot (off) and I'm happy it went in."
Raymond saved the season with his game-tying goal, giving the Wings a chance to earn the two full points for the standings.
Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (three assists) made a key play, jumping to stave off a Montreal clearing attempt, and the puck ultimately got to Raymond who patiently waited out Montembeault and sniped a shot past the goaltender.
"It was a good jump, obviously huge for us keeping that (the puck) in there," Raymond said. "It was a crazy sequence. The puck was bouncing all over the place. It felt like a lot of sticks flying around everywhere. I got open and I'll take it."
BOX SCORE: Red Wings 5, Canadiens 4 (OT)
Coach Derek Lalonde felt the entire game was another sign of Raymond's growth this season.
"Man, I give him a ton of credit," Lalonde said. "He's one of those guys it wasn't going for him early, he was on the bad end of some physical plays, but he didn't get frustrated and hung in there and battled. "He got two big goals in the end."
All of Raymond's and the Wings' heroics, though, still wasn't enough to inch into a playoff spot. The Wings still need help in the playoff race Tuesday to squeeze into the final available spot in the Eastern Conference.
Washington defeated Boston 2-0 to stay in the final wild-card spot with 89 points. The Capitals own the tiebreaker against the Wings, who also have 89 points. Pittsburgh (88 points) and Philadelphia (86) both are lingering within striking distance with one game to go.
The Wings finish the season Tuesday in Montreal. Washington is in Philadelphia (88 points) in a critical game itself.
With a victory, Washington can secure the playoff position. The Wings need a victory and Washington defeat to get into the playoffs.
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The Wings will gladly take this opportunity.
"If you had told us you have one game, Game 82, on the road to improve 11 points over the previous year and have a chance to make the playoffs, every single of us would have signed up for it," Lalonde said. "It'll be a challenge for us, they're (the Canadiens) are a very good team and very aggresive offensively. They take a lot of pride for their home ice and it's their Fan Appreciation Night, but we need to turn the page and give ourselves an opportunity."
J.T. Compher had two goals (19 for the season) and Alex DeBrincat (27th) had the other Wings goals, while goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 17 shots.
Lalonde said after the game James Reimer will get the start in net Tuesday in Montreal.
DeBrincat cut Montreal's lead to 4-3 at 10:38 of the third period with his 27th goal and third in the last two games. DeBrincat blasted a one-timer that got through a small maze of bodies in front of Montembeault.
The goal ignited the third-period comeback, after Compher had the cut the lead to 4-2 late in the second period.
"The goal (Compher's) going into the third period was huge," Lalonde said. "We needed one before the end of the period."
The Wings then tapped back to their season-long ability to rally and overcome any sort of deficit in the third period.
"Belief was the biggest thing, in each other and the group," Compher said. "We never gave up, even the last shift in regulation when it felt like the puck might never go in for us. The guys stuck with it."
Brendan Gallagher scored two goals and Justin Barron, Rafael Harvey-Pinard for the Canadiens, while Montembeault stopped 29 shots.
Montreal scored two quick goals on the first three shots it threw at Lyon.
Gallagher opened the scoring with a backhand rebound of defenseman Lane Hutson (Holland), who was making his NHL debut. Lyon stopped the shot put the puck dribbled into the slot and Gallagher found an open spot at 4:25.
Montreal pushed the lead to 2-0 on Barron's seventh goal. Josh Anderson found Barron skating into the slot. Barron didn't receive the pass cleanly but settled the puck down and flicked a shot high over Lyon at 6:15.
The Wings were able to stay close on Compher's first goal. Montembeault stopped DeBrincat in close but the puck squirted through the slot to Compher who poked the puck past Montembeault at 8:11.
The Canadiens extended the lead to begin the second period. Off a rush, Harvey-Pinard skated down the middle of the ice basically unscathed, receiving a pass from Jake Evans near the circle, and beating Lyon wide for only Harvey-Pinard's second goal of the season at 6:43.
After the Wings failed to capitalize on a power play, Montreal pushed the lead to 4-1 with Gallagher's second goal.
Simon Edvinsson backhanded a pass from behind the net that bounced off Evans' stick to Gallagher all alone in front. Gallagher slipped a shot past Lyon at 15:26.
But Compher pulled the Wings to within a two-goal deficit with his second goal and 19th of the season. David Perron found Compher alone on a rush, and Compher made no mistake beating Montembeault.
"It was a weird 4-1 (deficit) because we had some good push going at 3-1," Lalonde said. "We gave them some (offensive) chances in the slot and it was in the back of the net."
Now, the Wings need one more win — and some help from Philadelphia — to end a seven-year playoff drought.
"We know what we have to do," Compher said. "All tonight did was give us an opportunity to finish the job tomorrow. We'll control what we can control, which is our game. But all we did was give ourselves a chance to finish the job."
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
