Red Wings Learn Tough Lesson With Disappointing Loss
David Perron vs. Vladimir Tarasenko ({Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)"There's not much I wasn't happy with."
Detroit Red Wings fans might not share the same sentiment as the team's head coach, Todd McLellan. But for all intents and purposes, it wasn't a bad night for the team despite losing 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators.
The only thing that didn't go right for them was coming away with an "L" instead of a "W." And the two points. Missing out on that could come back to haunt them.
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However, as far as Alex DeBrincat is concerned, the Red Wings were the better team on Monday night, and he let everyone know in his post-game interview.
"I thought we played well the whole game," DeBrincat stated. "Once we scored that goal...I think things settled down a little bit. We didn't get as many Grade A's, but still had our chance to win."
"Their powerplay scored two and we didn't get any. That's the difference maker."
Yes Alex, that was the difference. The Senators scored two powerplay goals to the Red Wings single even-strength tally.
DeBrincat wasn't the only one who thought the Red Wings deserved a better fate than they received.
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"I'm frustrated with them," McLellan revealed. "They put a lot into that game. There is no complaints about effort (or) execution. We ran into a goalie that had a career night."
"Unfortunately for us, we couldn't find a way to beat him."
Stopping 48 shots is a big night for a goaltender. Linus Ullmark was worth his weight in gold for the Senators on Monday. According to MoneyPuck, the Red Wings had 4.116 expected goals. This means that Ullmark stole three goals from them.
That's a tough pill to swallow.
"We didn't give up much, we played a good, hard, gritty game," McLellan stated. "When you are in one (losing streak), it'd be nice to get a game like this and get out of it."
"But, if you play like this and continue to play like this, we'll find ways to get wins."
It was indeed a hard and gritty game for both sides. The Red Wings recorded 31 hits and 21 blocked shots, while the Senators threw 43 hits and 12 blocked shots.
The Red Wings are not in the moral victory portion of the season (yet), but there are positives to glean from a game like this. The losing streak is close to reaching its conclusion with the way they played.
"It's frustrating," DeBrincat said. "I thought we were the better team today, (with) better chances and sometimes it just doesn't go your way."
McLellan echoed a similar sentiment.
"Sometimes," McLellan said, "when you are in a losing streak you play really well and you're still not coming out. Maybe, this is the beginning of it."
Red Wings fans certainly hope so. With the season running out of runway, the team must make hay while the sun shines.
What did you think of last night's game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Did the Red Wings deserve to win the hockey game or is it enough to know that they should have won the game? Please vote in the poll to let us know your thoughts.
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