The Detroit Red Wings showed growth, but not enough to get them the result that was there for the taking.
The Wings don’t deflate when opponents score any more, but Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena rankled because the Wings had the lead with six minutes to play. Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter scored timely goals in response to the Stars’ first goals, which showed a next-shift mentality the Wings lacked the last few seasons, and overall there was much to like.
Just not how it ended.
“We didn’t let any of those goals-against be deflaters, and we came back and played really well,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “There were stretches where we played excellent hockey. So there’s growth there, but one of the parts of this is finding ways to make sure you cement that game. We’ve got to keep growing in those areas. We have to make sure we’re really poised and smart at that point.”
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Captain Dylan Larkin said the Wings, “played good at times but made costly mistakes at costly times and that killed us. We take a penalty in overtime, and that’s the game.
“We know what’s at stake every night. We’re a young team, we haven’t been in this position in a couple years, but every game matters. We’re trying to catch teams that have games in hand and we want to be in the playoffs. We want to be right there. We’re hanging on but we have to finish games, especially on home ice.”
Fabbri was in the box when Roope Hintz scored in overtime. The Stars had pulled Braden Holtby for an extra attacker when Jason Robertson scored with 1:03 to play in regulation. That overshadowed the power play goal Tyler Bertuzzi scored at 13:46 of the third period, and the magnificent goal Larkin scored at 9:16 of the second period. Larkin used his speed to gain Dallas’ zone and his strength to split two defenders.
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“I think their guys were trying to tag up for delayed offside and I got the puck,” Larkin said. “I had speed and beat a couple guys and saw a lot of ice open to the middle. It was kind of lucky I flipped it at the net and it went up and in.”
That was Larkin’s 19th goal and third in two games.
“There’s not much about systems or planning there, that’s just real skill,” Blashill said. “He’s skating really well with the puck and that’s what can be a separator for him. He’s got good ability to finish and he’s showing that.”
It’s that ability to finish the Wings need to gain as a team. Blashill lamented that the Wings, “played a really good game. We have to find ways to win, and that’s part of the process we’re going through, is learning how to win. We played way too good not to win with scoring that power play goal in the third. We were in position to win the game.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.