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Playoff bubble watch — Red Wings edition

Mike Babcock

Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock talks to his team during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago, Sunday, March 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

AP

Twenty-two. That’s how many consecutive seasons the Detroit Red Wings have qualified for the NHL playoffs. The last time the postseason started without them, Driving Miss Daisy had just won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

According to Sports Club Stats, there’s a 44.8 percent chance the Wings’ streak will be pushed to 23. Which, of course, means there’s a 55.2 percent chance it won’t be.

And, oh yeah, if the Wings are to claw their way back in, they’ll have to do it starting tonight versus Pittsburgh, and with an injury list that looks like this:

Wings

A few key guys there.

“There’s been times when we’ve had guys out, but not like this,” Helm said, per MLive.com. “To have almost every one of our centers from the start of the year be out right now, and seeing Johnny go out, I don’t want to say it’s comical, but it’s unbelievable.

“You can’t really explain what’s happening with this team, but the guys that are in the lineup have been doing a good job, so once everyone is back healthy we’ll make a good push.”

The good news for the Wings is they’re only one point back of Columbus, which currently holds down the final wild-card spot in the East, and the other wild-card team, Toronto, is wobbling on the verge of another epic collapse.

Detroit’s remaining schedule is a bit of an odd one. Two games against Pittsburgh. Two against Minnesota. Two against Montreal. And two against Buffalo. In addition to the four pairs, there are all-important singles versus Columbus and Toronto, plus Tampa Bay, Boston, Carolina and St. Louis.