Summarize and humanize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in EnglishDetroit Red Wings react after 2-1 (OT) loss at St. Louis BluesDetroit Red Wings Moritz Seider & Todd McLellan, April 1, 2025 in St. Louis.In two weeks, the Detroit Red Wings will either be preparing for the playoffs for the first time in nine years – or for a long offseason. That’s how little time they have left.Between now and the end of the regular season on April 17 lies just eight games. The Wings were off Wednesday, offering a respite to recharge and reset mentally after their last game ended with them losing 2-1 in overtime, after being half a minute from a regulation victory. That left the Wings at 34-33-7 and with 75 points, four points out and three spots out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.The Wings have not won consecutive games since Feb. 23-25, and are 4-11-1 since that time, with a winning percentage of .281 that ranks 31st in the NHL.At most now, the Wings can finish with 91 points, which is what they had at the end of last season. But winning out the stretch is going to be daunting.Here’s a prediction of of how the final stretch of their season may play out.CLOCK IS TICKING: Red Wings know they’re running out of time to reach playoffs, have no time to poutApril 4: Carolina HurricanesThe Wings seem overwhelmed when they play the Hurricanes, who funnel pucks and players at the net at a relentless pace and project to beat the Wings for the third time since early March. The pick: Loss.The Panthers face a tough outing the day before against the Senators in Ottawa, so if the Wings play with speed and tenacity, they may be able to take advantage of a tired Panthers team that is also still without top forward Matthew Tkachuk (injury) and top defenseman Aaron Ekblad (suspension). The pick: Win.April 8: at Montreal CanadiensThe Canadiens were near the bottom of the East coming out of the Four Nations break on Feb. 22 and have steadily climbed the standings on the strength of good team performances. As it stands now the Habs are one of the teams ahead of the Wings, and that will intensify the significance of this game. The Canadiens have the edge in being at home. The pick: Loss.April 10: at Florida PanthersThe Panthers are likely to be tougher to handle on home ice, especially if they’re still fighting for home ice for the start of the playoffs. The pick: Loss.The Lightning are one of the teams contending for the top two spots in the Atlantic, and they’re idle the night before, so this isn’t likely to go the Wings’ way. The pick: Loss.if the Stars are still within reach of first place in the Central Division, and thereby avoiding a first-round matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, this is going to be a tough one. If the Stars are locked into second, they may rest their top players and the Wings could have a chance. The pick: Loss.The Devils play the night before in Boston, and if they’re locked into third in the Metro by this time, this purports to be a winnable game for the Wings. The pick: Win.Toronto Maple Leafs: April 17The Wings play the night before, while the Leafs are off. Maybe the top three seeds in the Atlantic are set by then, and the Leafs rest their top players – but that’s a close race where home ice could still be at stake. If the Wings somehow are still in the mix, they’re going to be gassed by this time – but it’s more likely that it will be another sad finale. The pick: Loss.Will the Red Wings make the playoffs?Last year the cutoff to get in in the East was 91 points. Maybe that drops a few points this spring. But based on how little they’ve won since the start of March, and that they would need to bank 13 of the available 16 points just to reach 88 points, all while also needing multiple other teams to lose? It’s hard to see the Wings advancing.Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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