Drew Miller wins the shootout for the Red Wings

Last night’s shootout win puts Detroit in a familiar place, albeit one they haven’t seen very often this year – inside the 8 team playoff cut for the Western Conference.  The two points needed to jump over Calgary did not come easy.  Despite a good first and second period, Detroit found itself in a 1-1 tie at the start of the third, courtesy of a breakaway goal by Todd Bertuzzi in the first, followed by a Minnesota goal by Robbie Earl in the second.  Detroit managed to gain the lead early in the third, with a goal by Patrick Eaves at the 2:28 mark, and a goal by Drew Miller (the game’s eventual hero) at 9:03.  Minnesota battled back, scoring two goals exactly one minute apart (Havlat, Brunette).  This would end the scoring for regulation, followed by an exciting but scoreless overtime.

The shootout has been an all-too familiar place for the Wings lately, coming off shootout losses to Dallas and Chicago last weekend.   The shootout started promising, with a save by Howard against Minnesota Captain Mikku Koivu and an effective, if somewhat-less-flashy-than-normal goal by Pavel Datsyuk on Niklas Backstrom.  After stops on Guillaume Latendresse and Henrik Zetterberg, Owen Nolan (yes, he still plays) managed to squeak one by Jimmy Howard.  A save by Backstrom on hot stick Bertuzzi sent the shootout into extra rounds.  Six rounds later, Marek Zidlicky found the net, and the Wings were staring down the throat of another crushing shootout loss.  However Valteri Filppula came through in the clutch, putting a shot past Backstrom and extending the contest.  The drama would only increase from there, as a shot by Antti Miettinen, who had beaten Howard, bounced harmless off the goalpost.  Finally, in the eighth round, Drew Miller (ex-Spartan) managed to beat Backstrom on a wristshot from the circles.  The Wings had managed to stop their 3 game slide, and jump over Calgary in the process.

The victory celebration will be short-lived.  With a little less than half the season to go, the Wings cannot hope to hold the last place in the conference without playing better hockey than they did against a struggling Minnesota team.  Four teams fighting for the last few playoff spots are within 4 points of each other (Nashville 61, Los Angeles 59, Detroit 58, Calgary 58).  Four more teams on the outside looking in are within 2 points of each other, and only 5 points from 8th place.  The Wings will have to step up their game going in to the Olympic break if they are going to widen the gap and cement a playoff spot this season.  A big help will be the imminent return of some of the Wings’s injured superstars.  Jason Williams, Niklas Kronwall, and Tomas Holmstrom all may see action as early as next week.  Johan Franzen is still on track to return right around the time of the Olympic break.

Keep an eye out Detroit, good things are coming.