DETROIT- The Red Wings took to home ice for their home finale with their playoff chances on life support as the hosted the New Jersey Devils. With the 5-3 loss, the Red Wings playoffs hopes are gone, with fans sending the team off to complete their season on the road with chorus of boos, just as they had in the home opener.
Anatomy of a Red Wings collapse
Justin Faulk opened scoring for the Red Wings with a goal halfway through the first period. Faulk has 3 goals and 2 assists in his 15 games with Detroit.
The cost for Faulk may have been steep, including an unprotected first round pick, but the former Blues blueliner has been efficient in his time with Detroit, providing some much needed offense on the back end without surrendering too many opportunities to the opposition.
Unfortunately team defense and a sense of urgency continue to be problematic for the Red Wings as a whole. While Detroit managed to hold an extended lead for much of their last game against Philadelphia, Jack Hughes was able to get the Devils tied up with the Wings less than a minute after Faulk opened scoring.
Another former Blue, David Perron, scored the next goal of the game to bring the Red Wings up 2-1 midway through the second period, netting his first goal in his second stint as a Red Wing. However, the Red Wings lead, while longer than the first one, still found itself evaporating on ice before the end of the second period.
Jesper Bratt collecting his second point of the night as the Devils second goal-scorer after assisting on Hughes‘ goal, floating the puck past John Gibson’s shoulder into the net while he was blinded by the net-front crowd from far out. Bratt would finish the match with three points, his second goal of the night the game-winner
With things knotted up at 2-2 going into the third period, the Red Wings needed to build and maintain a lead for the second night in a row, something they’ve achieved only once in the past 28 games.
They failed spectacularly at the task, with Emmitt Finnie scoring the sole Red Wings goal of the third period as they let the Devils pass them by with three third period goals, including an empty netter to seal the game.
Takeaways
The Red Wings collapsed in spectacular fashion. A game after the team had somewhat reset the mood around the locker room with a hard fought win over the Flyers, the Red Wings came out limp and failed to achieve their season long goals. It was a tepid response two days after telling the media that the team doesn’t care about the outside noise around the team and the pressure to win back on.
“We all know it, right? Marches and late seasons, and you know, I just don’t have a good answer for you. Just when it gets tight, we come up short.” Said Dylan Larkin. “Some of these games we let slip away.”
Key moment
The Red Wings were leading or tied with the Devils for the majority of the game, right up until the middle of the third period. New Jersey’s goal to take their first lead of the game was the death knell The Red Wings, who had been struggling to maintain offense and had not protected a lead for more than five minutes in the game, appeared deflated as the boos began to rain down.
Key Stat
The Red Wings are a remarkable 1-4-0 when tied after the second period at Little Caesar’s Arena with the home finale loss. Their numbers are even rougher when trailing at (ironically) 3-13-1. This was a team that couldn’t finish, and they certainly didn’t have the tools to climb back from a deficit. With the fourth loss, the Red Wings have now secured ten years out of the playoffs, and the title for longest streak in the NHL.
“You now, it’s not about me but I am responsible for it. Just mixed emotions, pissed off– disappointed,” Said Coach Todd McLellan, “When I use those words don’t think I’m just throwing those at the players. That’s me looking in the mirror too… I’m starting with myself, and that’s where it begins.”
Next Up
The Red Wings face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning Monday night at 7:00 p.m.
