Red Wings 3, Wild 2
DETROIT -- Riley Sheahan had a goal and an assist and the Detroit Red Wings held on for a desperately needed 3-2 victory against the Minnesota Wild on Friday at Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings moved past Boston and into third place in the Atlantic Division -- a point ahead of the Bruins -- and tied the Philadelphia Flyers, who have two games in hand for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Minnesota is five points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Wild trail the Nashville Predators by four points for the first wild card.
Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar also scored for Detroit. Jimmy Howard made 20 saves.
Jonas Brodin and Mikael Granlund scored for Minnesota. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter had two assists apiece and Devan Dubnyk made 26 saves.
Granlund made it 3-2 at 10:17 of the third period. He beat Howard with a wrist shot from the right circle for his 12th goal.
Sheahan restored the Red Wings two-goal lead 2:08 into the third period when he put in a rebound. It was Sheahan's 13th goal and fourth in five games.
Brodin made it 2-1 with 3:18 left in the second period. He beat Howard -- who didn't appear to be screened -- with a one-time slap shot from the right point just inside the blue line. It was Brodin's second goal.
Larkin gave Detroit a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal with 7:08 left in the first period.
His shot from the right circle deflected off the shaft of the stick of Suter and fluttered over the left shoulder of Dubnyk -- who is 6 feet 6 -- and into the net. It was Larkin's 23rd goal and gave him 45 points, the most for a Red Wings rookie since Nicklas Lidstrom had 60 in 1991-92.
Tatar made it 2-0 Detroit 2:32 into the second period. He beat Dubnyk on the short side with a one-time shot from the bottom of the left circle at a bad angle. It was Tatar's 21st goal.
NOTES: Detroit has reached the playoffs in 24 consecutive seasons. ... Minnesota D Jared Spurgeon did not play because of a lower-body injury. ... Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk was named the NHL's Second Star of the Month for March. Dubnyk was 10-2-1 with a 2.06 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and one shutout in 14 games in March.