Postseason odds for the Detroit Red Wings take a nosedive after pair of costly losses to Canadiens

Unless something big changes in a hurry, the Detroit Red Wings will continue trending their way toward a 9th straight year without an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In fact, the only NHL club that has a longer postseason drought is the Buffalo Sabres, who haven't qualified since 2011 and are in the midst of a stunning 14-game losing skid.

And right now, the Red Wings don't even have a 5% chance at the postseason according to the latest odds released by Monkey Puck.

Detroit's divisional foe Ottawa Senators, who are surging, boast over a 50% chance to make the postseason; they beat the Red Wings 2-1 earlier this month thanks to a last minute goal by Michigan native Josh Norris.

The Red Wings were swept aside by the Canadiens in their short 2-game series, a 4-3 loss in Detroit on Friday in which the Red Wings once again failed to protect a 3rd period lead, followed by last night's 5-1 laugher at Bell Centre in Montreal.

The Canadiens, who were the Eastern Conference's worst club for most of this year, have now leapfrogged the Red Wings in the Conference and Atlantic Division standings.

Detroit is now only ahead of the Sabres, who are in the midst of the horrific aforementioned 14-game losing skid.

If the Red Wings are to salvage even a little bit of holiday cheer, they absolutely have to claim two points tomorrow night against the St. Louis Blues, their final game before the Christmas break.