Cam Talbot and the Detroit Red Wings are hanging on for dear life in the playoff race. Detroit entered March as the top Wild Card team in the East. However, another collapse in March has left the team staring down the barrel of another missed postseason. But they aren't going away quietly. The Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and have now taken down the Florida Panthers.

Detroit received goals from Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher in the first period. From there, Talbot took over. He nearly shutout the Panthers on Sunday night. The goal he allowed came in the final 40 seconds of the game. But his 32 saves were enough to claim a 2-1 win at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Talbot has played well at times during the season. His current run of form is extremely important for this team. And it was recognized by head coach Todd McLellan after defeating the Panthers on Sunday.

“Good goaltending gives you an opportunity to win the game, and that’s what [Talbot] is giving us right now,” McLellan said, via NHL.com's Dave Hogg. “The team is very confident in him right now, and that’s a real good thing to have at this time of the year.”

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Detroit certainly needed a win. Beating the Panthers brings the Red Wings within six points of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Wild Card spot in the East. The Red Wings will take on the Canadiens on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

“Obviously, that’s going to be one of the biggest games of the year,” Talbot said of that looming showdown, via Hogg. “That’s the team we have to catch, so we definitely need to ride this momentum.”

The Red Wings have a lot of work to do to make the postseason. They certainly aren't out of the race yet. However, a loss to the Canadiens on Tuesday would essentially end their playoff dreams for a ninth straight season.