With each victory, those odds of getting the first overall pick is getting slimmer for the Red Wings.
Playing a New York Rangers team who is perfecting “tanking” this late in the season, the Wings picked apart the Rangers in a 3-2 victory Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Goaltender Jimmy Howard, as he usually does against the Rangers, was dominant while making 41 saves. Andreas Athanasiou had two Wings goals, including an empty netter with 53 seconds left and Frans Nielsen had the other goal.
It was the Wings’ second consecutive victory and moved them six points ahead of Ottawa, the NHL’s last place team and four ahead of Los Angeles.