Red Wings start potential make-or-break stretch

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are six points out of the final playoff spot and would have to jump six teams to get there.

That’s a tall order, even with 53 games to go. It will be even more difficult if they don’t make up in the next 2½ weeks with six of their next seven games at home, starting tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network).

“It’s huge,” said Michael Rasmussen. “We have some goals that we have to reach by Christmas, basically where we are at home here and just have to point the ship in the right direction.”

The Red Wings (11-14-4) are 1-4-2 in their last seven. Seven of their last eight losses have been by one goal (three in overtime). Even the one that wasn’t (4-1 loss Thursday in Philadelphia) was essentially a one-goal game because the Flyers sealed it with a pair of empty-net goals.

They need to start turning these close games around, and quickly.

“It’s a good time for us to hopefully get some momentum, use the building to our advantage, use the energy and try to get something going here,” Patrick Kane said.

The problem is that they haven’t defended home ice well. They are 5-7-2 at Little Caesars Arena.

“Obviously, in the last few games, there are some games that we could have won. Maybe the (underlying) numbers were on our side,” Kane said. “(Thursday) was one of those games, but got ready for the next one. And whether it’s being tough on each other, holding each other accountable, looking at yourself in the mirror, trying to make sure you’re playing better yourself. All those things are taken into account when the team is fighting.”

Kane has gone a career-high nine games without a point and is one of several players struggling. JT Compher has gone 20 games without a goal and has just three for the season. Vladimir Tarasenko has scored just two goals in his last 23 games and four in total.

“We just need to score more. That’s really it,” Rasmussen said. “I think we’ve been pretty good in our own end, a couple of periods there’s an exception to that. We’ve been really good at not giving up odd-man rushes and dangerous scoring chances, but we just had to clean up those periods and clean up those things. And I think those things will lead to more goals, and more goals means more wins.”

The Leafs (18-9-2) have been perennial playoff flops despite boasting some of the best offensive talent in the league in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.

This year, their first under coach Craig Berube, they’ve tightened up defensively, thanks in large part to their goaltending tandem of Anthony Stolarz (2.15 goals-against average, .927 save percentage) and Joseph Woll (2.16, .921) .

“They’re getting some of the best goaltending in the league, but I think it’s their game ahead of them,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said.

Ville Husso will start in goal for Detroit after Cam Talbot tweaked a lower-body injury on Friday. Former Leaf Jack Campbell was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins to serve as a back-up.