Game Eighty-One: Wings vs. Habs

GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

Great. Just great. End of the season injuries. To our best players. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

No official word yet on Max Pacioretty's injury, which is about as much as we'll ever know about what happened to him Sunday evening in Miami. All we know is this - Pacioretty was tripped from behind, sending him sprawling into the boards, making heavy contact with his arm/shoulder/head. Which of those three, if not all are injured, we have little idea, because as per team policy, all that is disclosed is that he's got an upper body injury.

Oh yes, and that he won't play again for the rest of the regular season, and he's questionable for the first round of the playoffs.

So, what can you do? You forge ahead. The Habs have two games left, both relatively inconsequential, except that a single win from the remaining games will lock up first place in the Atlantic Division, which will mean the Canadiens will face either the Bruins, Pens or Senators in first round of the playoffs.

So, in other words, there's something to play for.

The Habs will start Carey Price tonight, which is probably a good thing since Price has posted an incredible .981 SV% against Detroit this season. It's a mind-boggling stat, and its probably the main, if not only reason why the Habs have more or less had their way against the Wings.

Detroit, it should be noted, also have a little bit of skin in tonight's game, being just one point behind the Islanders in the Eastern Conference. Otherwise, the Wings really have no vested interest in putting their players in harms way for what would be a relatively meaningless win. Which is to say, tonight's game shouldn't be inordinately physical - which I'm sure from both team's perspectives, would be just fine, thank you.

So last home game of the regular season. And then it's on to host .. who knows?

Puck drops at 7:40 EST.