by Mike Whitaker
DETROIT – It was one that the Detroit Red Wings let slip through their fingers, and it’s the kind of loss that has the potential to be damaging – especially after losing a valuable point that could go a long way in the standings.
The Red Wings lost their two-goal lead in the third period against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon, losing 4-3 in OT after surrendering a pair of late tallies in regulation and then the deciding goal in overtime thanks to a defensive mishap.
The entire flow of the game was interrupted multiple times, leading coach Todd McLellan to label the game as among the more “strange” ones that he’s coached.
“Today was a real strange game, with the delays and the type of goals were scored,” McLellan explained. “It was just an odd one.”
The top offensive guns came through for the Red Wings, who got goals from Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin (PP), and Lucas Raymond (PP).
The latter pair of goals from the Red Wings had to withstand lengthy video reviews; Larkin’s 2nd-period goal was eventually confirmed by the officials, who determined that the ‘intent to blow the whistle’ rule wasn’t violated.
Early in the 3rd period, Raymond’s goal withstood a challenge from the Wild for goaltender interference on Marc-Andre Fleury, who was making the final start of his career in Detroit; it gave the Red Wings a 3-1 lead.
But the Wild cut Detroit’s lead to one goal during a delayed penalty call on Vladimir Tarasenko, followed by a 6-on-5 goal from Marcus Foligno with Fleury on the bench for an extra attacker late in regulation.
An egregious turnover by defenseman Erik Gustafsson at the tail end of the Red Wings power-play in overtime led to the goal from Rossi, who had just exited the penalty box.
“It was just an odd game. Are we disappointed?” McLellan said. “We gave up a point, certainly. I thought when we started the third and we scored, we felt pretty good. ”
McLellan was especially displeased at the fact that the Red Wings missed a chance to build a three-goal lead after the Wild lost their goaltender-interference challenge, which put the Red Wings right back on the power play.
But instead, sloppy play on Detroit’s part gave the Wild hope after their key penalty kill.
“We were a little bit sloppy and we could have put the nail in the coffin there and that kind of hurt us a little bit,” McLellan said.
The Red Wings have a chance to put this one behind them when they bring in the Anaheim Ducks to Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night; puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern.
