Up next in 10
Red Wings Miss 2024 Playoffs Despite 2 Thrilling Wins to Close 2023-24 Season | THW Grind Line
345 views
May 1, 2024
In this episode of The Hockey Writers Grind Line, Detroit Red Wings writers Devin Little and Evan Sabourin get together with producer Matthew Zator to react to the Red Wings getting eliminated from playoff contention despite winning their final two games against the Montreal Canadiens in dramatic fashion. They ended up finishing with 91 points - tied with the Washington Capitals who made the playoffs because of more regulation wins. Subscribe to THW's Red Wings Substack - https://thehockeywriters.substack.com/subscribe Our Grind Line crew are great writers, too: Devin Little - https://thehockeywriters.com/author/dlittle/ Evan Sabourin - https://thehockeywriters.com/author/esabourin/ And, make sure to check out all of our great Red Wings content - https://thehockeywriters.com/detroit-red-wings/ Graphics by Vince Richard - https://www.behance.net/vincergraphics #redwings #hockeytown #lgrw #stanleycupplayoffs
View Video Transcript
0:00
It's time for the Hockey Writers Grind Line
0:06
A weekly show covering everything Detroit Red Wings. Brought to you by our own iconic top line of Wings writers
0:14
Sit back and enjoy the grind. Hello everybody and welcome into a special episode of the Grind Line here at the Hockey Writers
0:25
I'm your host, Matthew Zittor. As always, joined in by my linemates Evan Sabrin, Devin Little
0:30
guys it's the roller coaster is over unfortunately it's over when it seemed like it could have continued
0:38
into the playoffs they won their last two games in very dramatic fashion i except you know the mercy
0:45
of scoreboards and mercy of other teams and unfortunately that's what they were tonight when
0:51
capitals won on an empty net goal we'll talk about this i on against the flyers and they
1:00
eliminated the Red Wings because they won. So the Capitals are in the playoffs, eliminating a whole bunch of teams
1:05
So we're going to just talk about these last two games, which is a bit where are amazing games
1:10
And they did win both against the Canadian. So I'll start with you, Evan, have feelings, thoughts
1:15
What's kind of running through your head now, these last two games and the almost by razor
1:21
thin margins missing the playoffs. It's almost hard to be mad at this point
1:27
I mean, last night, man, I'm still trying to process last night and then to see what happened
1:34
It's just a whole other ballgame. The feelings are kind of like spread out right now
1:39
And I'm probably in a couple hours, I'll start swearing and yelling and pointing the finger at somebody
1:44
Last night was great, man. I will remember that game for a very long time
1:49
That's one of those games that's going to stick with you for a while. And you'll remember where you were
1:54
It's, it's, that game kind of reminds me, like, I remember the game where Sergey Federer
1:59
I scored five goals on Christmas, on the Christmas break against Washington
2:03
And that's just, that's probably the last game that I can think of outside of any
2:07
playoffs or Stanley Cup games that really stood out to me. And man, last night was, that's just, I, I know I, uh, slacked you guys
2:16
I sent you guys a text message saying, you know, I'm out in L.A. And I think the neighbors thought someone was getting murdered
2:22
because even my wife thought something was wrong because I was at the top of my lungs
2:29
just not even just from the Brinket goal to the Raymond goal that tied it to that overtime
2:34
with the unbelievable Ken Daniels call. And it was just something, that was something special
2:42
And then, like I said, I'm still not done processing that game. And then to see what happened tonight, I mean, it was amazing
2:50
I'm still just, you know, last night, I'm sure we all had that feeling
2:54
And I saw everyone on Rubik's Twitter was, that was that shaking feeling that. I mean, that felt like a playoff game
2:59
It was crazy. It was fun. The LCA was rocking. It was amazing
3:05
But, you know, to come up short and they did everything they had to do, you know, the flyers, you know, thanks a lot, Tortarella
3:13
Best. Love you. But you know it I a little upset about you know in the first period there Looks like the Flyers had scored but Kelly Sutherland blew the whistle too soon while the puck was still up in the air And it bounced down and into the Washington net finally beat Charlie Lingren
3:33
But it was no good because he already blew the whistle. So it just feels like a fitting end after, you know, the way this season has gone
3:42
I can't remember a season with more storylines than this one had, you know, the ups and downs, the ups and downs
3:48
and downs and it was great doing this every week with you guys. So I'm a little disappointed
3:53
It's over, but what a hell of a ride it was. Yeah, Devin, what about you
4:00
I mean, it was very iconic. I was saying before we started recording, I'm like
4:05
I usually cover the Canucks. I've covered the Red Wings now, too, but I was watching that game yesterday
4:10
like I've been a diehard fan my whole life of the Red Wings
4:14
And I think I am now, like I've been a fan of the Red Wings
4:18
I think I'm more of a fan of the Red Wings now. That game was just insane, amazing
4:24
Lucas Raymond, we've talked about him all year. He's a star, and he's now got 30 goals, 31, actually
4:32
And that's just, he's just the start of that. I think he's going to be scoring those goals in the playoffs in no time
4:39
So, Devin, I mean, what are you thinking right now? He's thinking this
4:46
Yeah. yes that is what uh that's what lewis raymond's thinking that's for darn sure um
4:55
at yeah roller coaster right and like like we said uh before we started recording uh they had to give us
5:03
one more loop to loop this before we thought we were getting off the ride it launched one more time
5:07
into a full 180 so uh shout out to the red wings for keeping us on the toe on our toes
5:12
until the very last second of the very last game holy cow um
5:18
It's almost, it's better sweet, right? Like this, you couldn't have asked for a better finish, so to speak
5:24
91 points, first time getting 40 wins and 90 points since the 2015-16 season
5:30
That was the last time they made the playoffs and still is. But, you know, now that we're kind of through it, we can kind of look back in hindsight and say, you know, their season was basically over on April 9th when they lost to the capitals
5:46
they win that game they're in the playoffs and we're having a different show right now
5:51
we're talking about how they're going to face the Rangers we're talking about how the streaks over
5:55
and how the best years are still ahead and the best years still are ahead but they win that game
6:01
yeah like I said different show and I think that I think what that tells me
6:06
is that as good as this season wasn't as fun as it was and as you know
6:10
as as many things there are to get excited about still a lot of work to do
6:14
they still didn't come up big when they needed to. Obviously, to win their last three games was huge and it showed
6:21
a lot of heart, especially the way that they won these games, scoring a tie angle with three
6:26
seconds left. I mean, this is why you, this isn't just why you watch hockey. This is why you watch
6:31
sports, right? Like, you, you have people across the, across the continent getting invested in
6:37
teams that like they don usually they don usually follow until you know this I talking about you Matt Like it it sports has that magic about it This is a it it like I said it bittersweet because you kind of wish that this out how this played out led to a playoff spot
6:53
But it's like, yeah, these last two games were magical, but they still didn't make the playoffs
6:58
because they didn't get the job done on the ninth. Um, and I guess my last thought here is, uh, you know, how, what did we say before the season started
7:06
We predicted how the renderings were going to finish, uh, Matt. What did we say
7:10
We'd say they just missed, right? Well, they did they just miss
7:15
I didn't realize how, how, when I said just miss, I wasn't thinking like this
7:21
Holy cow. Can you just say they make playoffs next year then
7:25
Because you obviously are Nostradamus. Hey, listen, they're on that right trajectory, right
7:32
Next step's the playoffs. Let's say the razor is the thinnest of margins
7:37
This is the thinnest you can get tied with the capitals, with 91
7:41
points. The only reason they have not, are not in the playoffs, is because they did not win
7:46
as many regulation games. They would have had more wins in regulation. They would have made the
7:51
playoffs because that's the tie break. They had one more technically one more win than the capitals
7:58
then looks weird to me that they're not in the playoffs when they have one more win
8:02
Yeah. But a minus 37 goal differential. Yeah. Yeah. On paper, the wrong teams in the playoffs right now
8:11
for sure yeah and they're they're gonna get blown out by the rangers just saying i right now but
8:18
i it's just i don't know it looks it just looks off i mean it shouldn't be it shouldn't be
8:25
but the regulation wins is the first tiebreaker so unfortunately redwings didn't win as many
8:31
so that's the problem unfortunately i'm all for a one game playoff man that would have been great
8:37
yeah let's do it friday night should do that tie if you're tied
8:41
standings you should play one game and who wins that gets in. That'd be great, wouldn't it
8:46
That should be the tie break. Please listen to with the governors and all owners
8:51
Right. Yeah, it's tough. It's tough sitting here and saying, you know
8:58
but what a great last two games. You know, you can't say
9:02
that they didn't try, they didn't do their best to make it here
9:07
And they almost did. If Philly didn't pull their goalie there but whatever i mean well let's talk about that i mean Philadelphia had they had to
9:20
get a win in regulation to even have a shot and with the red wings forcing overtime they were out
9:26
yeah it looks like they didn't know or torterella didn't care i'm going to go with the ladder
9:31
decided to pull the goalie and yeah that's what ended it uh really hoping for the flyers but you know
9:39
as usual, they just let us down. I briefly mentioned it in our open, but that goal
9:47
that goal that Kelly Sutherland blew the whistle on too soon, I mean, that puck was five feet up in the air
9:52
and he blew the whistle, lost track of it, thinking Lingren had it
9:57
That puck came down, bounced right in the net. And, yeah, that could have been a difference maker
10:03
Now, you know, you can't say that, you know, the game could have turned in different ways just out of that But yeah it going to be in the point back of my head for a while But again you know just to see the effort these last two nights and the way they had played
10:15
these last three games that it left a good feeling. I mean, the best thing I can think of is, you know, Patrick Kane, seeing what this team
10:24
did the last three games and just the emotion and the atmosphere at LCA last night
10:30
I mean, come on, who writes that script? You know, the revelings are down and big
10:35
someone throws an octopus on the ice. That was a big one, too
10:40
That was bigger than the one after. And then for them to come back in that magical fashion
10:46
it's hard to be upset right now that they missed. But, you know, yeah, I would have loved to see some more games
10:53
And I'm a little sad that now it's time to start looking at the draft. But what a season
10:58
Every storyline imaginable, it was there. Yeah. Well, it should be a fun grindy
11:05
I are absolutely so yeah that's coming up I look sooner than we hope but it's it's going to
11:14
and yeah it was it was a couple fun games and next season I mean yeah I mean this team's on
11:23
the up and up I think and that's when you're looking at guys I think pat came Patrick King does
11:28
come back like you said about he saw the atmosphere and they were just so close I think he does
11:34
and we'll see, but I think he sees, I think he'll see potential in this team to return
11:44
Once the trade deadline hits, I hope Eisenman's at Markstrom's door. If you look at this team this whole season, what a legit goalie could have done for this team
11:54
Yeah. Talking about a different ballgame. Our goalies really struggled this last month and it wasn't pretty
11:59
Yeah. Even these last, even the two games here, they allowed four goals in each game
12:04
So the Red Wings had to score their way out of trouble, which they've done a lot of the season
12:10
And they did. They won both games. They won both games and scoring 10, well, nine goals because the fifth would have been the shootout
12:20
But yeah, it took fun, fun couple games and we'll look forward to next season
12:26
But we'll have another episode. We're going to keep going. This isn't the last episode of the season
12:33
And we'll keep going throughout the off season. We always do. But thanks, Evan, Devin, for going through this roller coaster throughout the season
12:42
And we'll wind down and just kind of, what, sit on a carousel ride or something on the off season here
12:48
A lazy river. That's a good one. And if you did see a silver lining in tonight that the Rubbing did score enough goals for curly fries, so there's still that
13:03
All right. Well, make sure keeping it, I mean, we're going to keep having
13:07
articles of the hockey writers. So keep an eye on that, a whole bunch
13:11
of off-season stuff, and the draft, and a bunch of stuff coming up. But we're hoping we're going to cover playoffs
13:16
But unfortunately, that's not the case. But exciting couple games, we'll keep going
13:21
Thanks, sports. Yeah. But make sure you're checking out everything. But until our next episode
13:29
we'll see on another episode of the Grime. Thank you
#Hockey