DETROIT — The Red Wings keep surviving and staying in this playoff race in dramatic and remarkable fashion.

Lucas Raymond scored the overtime winner with 24.4 seconds left, after scoring the game-tying goal late in regulation time, giving the Wings an exciting 5-4 victory over Montreal.

Raymond came down with Dylan Larkin on a two-on-break and blasted the game-winner, his 31st goal, past goaltender Sam Montembeault.

But the Wings still need help in the playoff race.

Washington won its game, to stay in the final wild-card spot with 89 points. The Capitals own the tiebreaker against the Wings, who also have 89 points.

The Wings finish the season Tuesday in Montreal.

Raymond tied the game 4-4 at 18 minutes, 43 seconds of the third period, after the Wing had pulled goaltender Alex Lyon. Raymond got close to the side and whistled a shot past Montembeault for Raymond's 30th goal.

Alex DeBrincat cut Montreal's lead to 4-3 at 10:38 of the third period with his 27th goal and third in the last two games. DeBrincat blasted a one-timer that got through a small maze of bodies in front of Montembeault.

The Wings were leery of the Canadiens after Monday's morning skate. Montreal has had some impressive wins against playoff teams over the past several weeks and made life difficult for contenders and they did again Monday.

"I've been on some teams like that in the past, where obviously there's nothing really to play for," defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said. "But there's always something to play for in the NHL. Guys are playing for jobs. and for us, we're going to (have to) play playoff-like hockey."

The Wings did enough over 60 minutes.

"We're in a situation where we know we need two full points," coach Derek Lalonde said after the morning skate. "No different than probably where we were at in our last game in Toronto."

J.T. Compher had two goals (19 for the season) and Lyon stopped 17 shots.

Brendan Gallagher scored two goals and Justin Barron, Rafael Harvey-Pinard for the Canadiens, while Montembeault stopped 30 shots.

The Wings talked at training camp and throughout the season about the desire to play meaningful games deep into the season. There's no doubt they've accomplished that goal.

"It's exactly one of our major goals going into the season was meaningful games as late as possible" Lalonde said. "It doesn’t get any later than game 81. It's not only the games being heavy, but it's how you handle those emotions.”

Montreal scored two quick goals on the first three shots it threw at Lyon.

Gallagher opened the scoring with a backhand rebound of defenseman Lane Hutson (Holland), who was making his NHL debut. Lyon stopped the shot put the puck dribbled into the slot and Gallagher found an open spot at 4:25.

Montreal pushed the lead to 2-0 on Barron's seventh goal. Josh Anderson found Barron skating into the slot. Barron didn't receive the pass cleanly but settled the puck down, and flicked a shot high over Lyon at 6:15.

“They got a lot of skill,” DeBrincat said about the Canadiens. “That top-end talent over there can really make plays.”

The Wings were able to stay close on Compher's first goal. Montembeault stopped DeBrincat in close but the puck squirted through the slot to Compher who poked the puck past Montembeault at 8:11.

The Wings missed a glorious chance toward the end of the period with Raymond and DeBrincat failing to connect on a quicky-developed two-on-none rush.

The Canadiens extended the lead to begin the second period. Off a rush, Harvey-Pinard skated down the middle of the ice basically unscathed, receiving a pass from Jake Evans near the circle, and beating Lyon wide for only Harvey-Pinard's second goal of the season at 6:43.

After the Wings failed to capitalize on a power play, Montreal pushed the lead to 4-1 with Gallagher's second goal.

Simon Edvinsson backhanded a pass from behind the net that bounced off Evans' stick to Gallagher all alone in front. Gallagher slipped a shot past Lyon at 15:26.

But Compher pulled the Wings to within a two-goal deficit with his second goal and 19th of the season. David Perron found Compher alone on a rush, and Compher made no mistake beating Montembeault.

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