Detroit, MI
Boos rain down on Red Wings after missing playoffs for 10th straight season
Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season after 5-3 loss to New Jersey.
Red Wings missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season after 5-3 loss to New Jersey.
Detroit — The boos were loud and stinging and showed how frustrated Red Wings fans are.
They rained down after the Wings’ 5-3 loss to New Jersey, officially eliminating the Wings from the Stanley Cup playoffs, and during the final minutes as the Wings struggled to generate a goal and at least earn a point for the standings.
They didn’t score. They lost. And fans let them hear about it.
The Wings now own the longest streak of not making the playoffs in the NHL, at 10 consecutive seasons. Without a doubt, fans aren’t happy about it.
Coach and players understood the booing, accepted it as the fans simply not being happy with the same outcome now, season after season.
“This is Detroit, this is Hockeytown,” said coach Todd McLellan, who was an assistant coach on the Wings’ last Stanley Cup winning team in 2008. “I’ve been lucky enough to be on the other side of it, when they couldn’t stop cheering for this team. They’re dying for that. They crave that.
“That’s what they want, and I don’t even know if they want a Stanley Cup championship anymore. They just want a team that will come and give them something to cheer about.”
Players in the last few weeks referenced the “outside noise” from fans, alluding to the pressure or negativism from fans, and they have been attempting to keep it outside of the locker room.
The fans, said McLellan, have the right to express their opinions after 25 consecutive years of making the playoffs with four Stanley Cups during that timeframe.
“This outside noise stuff or whatever, that’s inside noise, those are our fans in our building and they pay to watch us play, and we get paid well to perform for them,” McLellan said. “They’re fulling entitled to their opinion and we deserve that opinion.
“There’s no other way to sugarcoat it. That’s what we earned.”
Captain Dylan Larkin said it was “difficult” to hear the booing.
“Our fans are great, they are passionate and they care about winning,” Larkin said. “There’s been some great years here and they want us back to that. That’s what they expect here.”
Lucas Raymond said it “stinks” to end the season the way the Wings did, and have fans boo at Little Caesars Arena.
“We had a clear goal coming into this year and we didn’t do it,” Raymond said. “We had plenty of opportunities throughout this season and especially down the stretch.”
McLellan feels the Wings need to do a better job of facing and conquering the pressure and challenge of meaningful games late in the season.
“I felt a little bit of that last year, I’ve lived a year of it now and it’s there,” said McLellan of the external pressure. “But we keep earning that. We earned that pressure and that outside (“noise”) but you can except the pressure as challenge or you can succumb to it and we seem to choose the second one (succumb to it).
“That’s the way it is and the only way you get out of it is, you work your way out of it.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
Detroit Red Wings sign autographs after season’s final home game
Marco Kasper, Simon Edvinsson, Emmitt Finnie and the rest of the Red Wings signed hockey sticks for fans after the game
The Pistons have made recent moves to add more shooting, but still don’t have anyone quite as lethal as former Detroit guard Luke Kennard. On Saturday night, Kennard had a brilliant start to his postseason with 27 uber-efficient points for the Lakers in a win against the Rockets. His level of 3-point accuracy is something the Pistons have desperately been seeking all season long to bolster their offense.
Luke Kennard’s shooting makes him a dangerous playoff performer
Kennard was originally drafted to Detroit with the 17th pick of the 2017 Draft. The Pistons have plenty of draft regrets from that general era of team history, but picking Kennard has never been one of them. Despite any other weaknesses he may have, his strength as a shooter has always been enough to offset them.
In terms of pure 3-point percentage, Kennard is one of the best shooters in NBA history. He averages 44% behind the arc for his career, and shot a blistering 48% this season – the best mark in the league. Given his incredible track record, it’s not exactly a shocker to see him shoot 5-of-5 from three en route to 27 points in Game 1.
Not only is Kennard obviously an excellent standstill shooter, but he’s also a master of getting himself open with his movement. On Saturday night, he was able to play off LeBron James perfectly for a few easy looks. After that, he caught enough of a rhythm to create 3-point looks for himself, even in transition.
A player like Kennard is easily capable of turning an entire playoff game when he gets hot. In a close series, that one game where Kennard hits several threes can be all the difference his team needs to advance. If the Lakers do manage to win this series, even without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves, Kennard’s shooting will be a major reason why.
The Pistons could use someone like Kennard
Kennard would be a perfect marginal addition for the Pistons that only makes them better without taking anything away from the team. To be fair, the Pistons do have two shooters who have been hot recently in Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. But having more than one respected shooter on the court at a time is often necessary to maintain a solid offense in today’s NBA.
Given the Pistons’ current lack of shooting, any additional shooters are welcome. And Kennard is understandably one of the most feared shooters in the league, capable of bending defenses just by the threat of him taking a three. Rolling him out on the Pistons would surely open up more lanes for Detroit’s stars to attack the paint and score easier points.
Follow
A Detroit woman was arrested in the aftermath of a hit-and-run collision and shooting on Interstate 94, Michigan State Police reported.
Emergency dispatchers were called shortly after midnight Saturday about the altercation. Troopers reported the caller said while they were driving eastbound on I-94, near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, a black Jeep sideswiped them and sped off.
The caller then decided to follow the Jeep.
In response, police said, the driver of the Jeep fired several gunshots in the caller’s direction.
None of the gunshots struck the vehicle.
Troopers were able to use license plate reader camera technology to locate the Jeep while it was on the Lodge Freeway, made a traffic stop. The driver and two passengers were taken into custody without incident.
The passengers were released shortly afterwards; troopers believe that the 19-year-old driver was the shooter. She has been lodged pending further review by the prosecutor’s office.
In addition, a firearm was recovered from the vehicle.
The above video originally aired on Aug. 19, 2025.
NBA playoffs best matchups
Breaking down the best first-round NBA playoff matchups.
Who is favored in the NBA playoffs odds for Game 1 between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic?
Here’s what you need to know about NBA playoff betting odds for the NBA game between the No. 8 seed Magic and No. 1 seed Pistons, which is being played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
What is the point spread for the Pistons vs Magic game?
What is the moneyline for the Magic vs Pistons game?
What is the over/under (point total) for betting on the first-round NBA playoff matchup?
NBA playoffs odds: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | NBA championship odds | Game odds
Watch Magic at Pistons on Peacock
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is point spread?
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Detroit Pistons are an 8.5-point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs series.
NBA playoffs Game 1 predictions, picks: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s score projections
Pistons vs Magic odds: What is moneyline?
BetMGM Sportsbook lists Detroit as -375 on the moneyline for the first-round NBA playoff game. It has Orlando at +290.
NBA playoffs series schedules, TV channels: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | Daily schedule | First-round matchups
Magic vs Pistons odds: What is over/under?
The point total for the opening game of the NBA playoffs series between the Pistons and Magic is listed at 218.5 points, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
NBA playoffs series picks, predictions: Knicks vs Hawks | Cavaliers vs Raptors | Nuggets vs Timberwolves | Lakers vs Rockets | Spurs vs Trail Blazers | Celtics vs 76ers | The Republic’s predictions | NBA playoff bracket
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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