RALEIGH, N.C. _ What loomed on the horizon for weeks is now official as the Detroit Red Wings' historic playoff streak has ended.
Their 4-1 loss Tuesday at PNC Arena to the Carolina Hurricanes combined with Boston beating Nashville, 4-1, and Toronto topping Florida, 3-2, mathematically eliminated the Wings from the 2017 playoff race, the first time they have missed since 1991.
The streak of 25 consecutive seasons included six Stanley Cup Final appearances, four of them turning into Stanley Cup celebrations.
That it would end this year became clear out of the All-Star break, as the Wings limped into February. By the March 1 trade deadline management sold off what assets possible, trading Thomas Vanek, Brendan Smith, Steve Ott and Tomas Jurco.
The Wings pushed through March, going 5-1-1 into Tuesday's game, but it was too late to salvage their playoff hopes.
Instead, they ended on a night that saw them playing for the third time in three days.
