The Red Wings wrapped up a three-game road trip Tuesday with a 5-0 shutout win over the Montreal Canadiens, marking Detroit's fourth victory in its past five games.
"Right now, we're doing a lot of good things," Austin Czarnik said. "We're working hard, winning battles and getting the results that we want. When you're outside the playoffs, guys can take their foot off the gas. But everyone here is going pedal to the metal."
On Tuesday, Buffalo dropped a 2-1 decision to the Florida Panthers (87 points), who currently occupy the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Tage Thompson has a team-leading 90 points on 44 goals and 46 assists, while Jeff Skinner (33-40-73) and Alex Tuch (35-37-72) have both crossed the 70-point plateau this season. Three Buffalo goatenders have split time in the crease this season, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen leading the way with a 17-11-4 record, 3.61 goals-against average and .892 save percentage.