Canadiens Close the Deal After Red Wings Couldn’t

When defenseman Albert Johansson’s helmet fell off in the third period against the Montreal Canadiens it was symbolic of the Detroit Red Wings falling out of the Eastern Conference wildcard race.

A ninth consecutive season without a postseason was sprawled on the ice next to his bucket.

Under NHL rules, Johansson had to immediately put his helmet back on or leave the ice. As he scrambled to reclaim his helmet, and resettle it on his noggin, Josh Anderson headed to the front of the net. As the Montreal forward got there, a pass came his way, and he directed the puck over Detroit goalie Cam Talbot with 9:12 left in regulation to give Montreal a 2-1 lead.

It was deflating moment for a Red Wings team who had to beat the Canadiens in regulation to have an outside chance to wrestle the second wildcard away from the Habs.

Albert Johansson's helmet came off at the worst possible time 😬 pic.twitter.com/ohOMSFZIIg

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 9, 2025

The Red Wings couldn’t find a tying goal in the rest of the period, and eventually surrendered two empty-net goals to seal their fate. The Canadiens have an eight-point lead in the standings, and the Red Wings have five games remaining. The only way Detroit can now qualify is to earn nine points and Montreal would have to lose all four of their games in regulation.

Devastating Loss

The Canadiens are not officially in the playoffs, but the Red Wings have a better chance of getting back in the draft lottery than earning that Wild Card spot.

“You look around the room and there’s a lot of guys that took this one pretty hard,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin said. 

This one hurt because the Red Wings dominated the first period, outshooting Montreal 23-4, and only led 1-o on a Larkin goal.

“Dominated the first 20 minutes and obviously we’re still in a good spot with a one-goal lead,” Detroit’s Patrick Kane. “But would have been nice to get that second one.” 

The loss of the helmet will be remembered because it was a novel way to give up a goal. Johansson did what he thought was best, retrieving his helmet with some hope of getting back in the play. His only only other option was go bareheaded and follow Anderson. But rules say he would be penalized.

Split-Second Decision

The rule states a helmetless player can finish the play. The problem was Johansson’s helmet flew off in a collision behind the net. Anderson was involved. Was it the same play when Anderson went to the front of the net? That’s a difficult snap decision to make, especially for a player in his first NHL season.

“We couldn’t draw it up any worse for us than that because he would have been in perfect position to kill that play,” coach Todd McLellan said. “But he was picking his helmet up or coming to the bench and it’s in.”

But the lost helmet isn’t why the Red Wings are not going to the playoffs. This game was like many others the Red Wings played this season. They played well for an extended period, but couldn’t close the deal. They had lost the momentum before Anderson scored the game winner.

There will be changes in personnel this summer, with more draft picks joining the team, and possibly some new veterans.

Can’t Buy Second Goal

One constant theme of this season was a struggle for Detroit to score even-strength goals. McLellan said his power play, impressive much of the season, couldn’t get going against Montreal. The Red Wings have trouble winning when their power play isn’t humming.

Lucas Raymond had an even-strength breakaway and shot wide. J.T. Compher, who has been hot offensively, had an open net, but his shot ended up over the net.

The Canadiens are not among the NHL’s elite teams, but they have played impressively down the stretch. They have won six in a row, and are 9-0-1 in their last 10 at the Bell Centre.