MONTREAL — Moritz Seider had his head in his hands. Dylan Larkin leaned back against the wall, his body language disconsolate.

If Detroit had pulled off the win over the Canadiens, it would have trimmed Montreal’s lead in the Eastern Conference wild-card race to just four points, with the Red Wings having an extra game remaining (five). That’s still a long shot, to be sure, but it was enough to give them a fighting chance.

DETROIT -- Montreal, whether the Bell Centre or the legendary Forum, is the cathedral of hockey for Todd McLellan and many others.