Chicago – Four games, and no one has beaten the Red Wings in regulation time yet.
Then again, the Wings have now lost twice in overtime, Friday losing 4-3 to Chicago.
Max Domi jumped on a Lucas Raymond turnover, gathered the puck, and snapped a game-winning shot past goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic at 2 minutes, 44 seconds of overtime as Chicago rallied from a 3-1 deficit entering the third period.
So from that perspective, losing a two-goal lead in the third period especially, gaining a point was nice but this loss stung.
“Painful,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “We got exactly what we deserved in the third (period).
“There is some will within our team, and we’ll probably look at that (third) period analytically and it’s one of our better periods, (but) the inability to extend our lead an get that fourth goal, and we had a ton of chances, but it’s more about keeping our lead.
“I told the guys after the will is there and the want is there, it’s just executing and managing your game. We didn’t do that in the third period.”
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Connor Murphy’s shorthanded goal for Chicago tied it 3-3 at 10:06 of the third period. Sam Lafferty won a draw in the zone and the puck got back to Murphy, who snapped a shot that Nedeljkovic never appeared to see, as the Wings fell to 2-0-2 on the season.
“We were too passive, we have to learn from it and find a way when we’re up two goals to keep the foot on the gas and play smart,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “We hit a couple of posts in the third, a couple of power plays we wasted. We have to go out and get after it.”
Dominik Kubalik had a goal and assist against his former team, Pius Suter had a goal against his former Blackhawks teammates (the few that are still left), and Larkin added a power-play goal for the Wings.
The best news for the Wings may have been Larkin averting serious injury in the first period. Larkin fell awkwardly on his side during a battle in the corner and left the ice clutching his side. He immediately went to the locker room and didn’t return until the start of the second period, and finished the game.
“I’m okay, it was an awkward fall, but I’m all right,” Larkin said.
Added Lalonde: “Obviously he left the game with an upper-body injury but he came back and it seemed to be bothering him throughout. We’ll re-evaluate (Larkin) tomorrow.”
BOX SCORE: Blackhawks 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)
Former Red Wing Andreas Athanasiou scored his first goal as a Blackhawk, beating Nedeljkovic on a second-period penalty shot. Philipp Kurashev scored in the third period, cutting the Wings lead to 3-2.
Athanasiou’s goal cut the Wings lead to 2-1 at 5:41, but Kubalik restored the two-goal margin with his second goal.
Kubalik deflected a point shot from Olli Maatta (fourth assist, fifth point) past former Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek, who was replaced after two periods by Alex Stalock. Several big saves by Stalock in the third period (10 saves) sparked the Blackhawks.
“We did a pretty good job half of the game then we stopped doing what we are supposed to do,” Kubalik said. “They got energy from (scoring) that goal on our power play. It happens, but you don’t really want to get them going if you’re on the power play.
“It’s a big lesson and we have to learn from it.”
Suter and Larkin scored 1:07 apart midway in the first period.
Suter scored his first, giving the Wings a 1-0 lead at 9:26. Robert Hagg’s one-timer from the top of the slot appeared to bounce off Suter and just wide of Mrazek.
Larkin made it 2-0 shortly later, with a shot from the high slot that Mrazek never saw, screened by Oskar Sundqvist.
“We have to learn from this,” Larkin said. “We can’t sit back, no matter what the score is. Teams and players are too good. We did it well against Montreal (opening night), we’ve played with leads so far, but we have to capitalize on our chances and most certainly, can’t give up three straight goals.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan