The Red Wings' 8-4 defeat in Edmonton offers a reminder of the difficulty of the path ahead
The Red Wings' 8-4 defeat in Edmonton offers a reminder of the difficulty of the path ahead
"We felt like we were the better team for 40 minutes, but that's not a full hockey game," said Dylan Larkin in the locker room after the Red Wings' 8-4 defeat in Edmonton.
In those 40 minutes, Detroit battled the adversity of losing its starting goaltender to injury, stemmed the tide of a first period Oiler surge, saw Patrick Kane offer a reminder that even after an injury he remains a lethal offensive driver, and held Connor McDavid—the NHL's unquestioned best player—to two secondary assists.
Then, in the third and decisive period of the night, which began with the score tied at three, the game spiraled immediately. As Larkin put it, things "fell off the track." The Red Wings trailed within a minute, and were down four after 13:41, where the margin would remain at the final horn. McDavid grabbed four primary assists across Edmonton's five goals. "We just really lost it in the third, which is really disappointing," offered Moritz Seider. "Up to that point...we were kind of rolling. In the end, it's a really devastating result."
The story of the Red Wings' new year is of Detroit's ephemeral aspiration of remaining in the playoff hunt crystalizing into reality. As the Red Wings put together their best month in over a decade in January, they asserted themselves into the thick of the Eastern playoff race as the season nears the quarter pole. The playoffs remain an aspiration, but they are no longer a distant fantasy and instead a tangible objective, well within reach. Then, last night in Edmonton, the Red Wings received a lesson from their hosts—on the firepower of the league's apex predators and on the precarious margins of their own pursuits.
Detroit is battling to clear the playoff bubble with an underlying sense that should they crack the postseason, whatever happens there would be the cherry on top of an already triumphant season. Meanwhile, for the Oilers, another year that doesn't end in McDavid passing the Stanley Cup to Leon Draisaitl would be an unqualified failure—extenuating circumstances be damned.
In last night's third period, Edmonton flexed the attacking muscle that invites the burden of such lofty expectations and standards. What makes that experience frustrating is that—to both Larkin and Seider's points—the Red Wings showed that despite the gulf in their ambitions Detroit is more than capable of playing with a Cup contender like the Oilers. However, clichéd though it may sound, even a momentary lapse in a 60-minute game is enough to undo two periods' worth of hard work.
"We will take what we did against [McDavid] for two periods, and then he gets feeling it a little bit, our compete drops off just enough, you can see a little more sag with some gaps, some turnovers, we're not at the top of our game...it was a little too easy," said Derek Lalonde of McDavid's third period takeover.
Consider the example of the Oilers' penultimate goal. Jake Walman and Seider combine to force a turnover below the goal line, and Seider makes an outlet pass that should usher the puck to the safety of neutral ice and beyond. However, a neutral zone mishandle between Kane and Alex DeBrincat means the puck doesn't go deep into the Edmonton end, and instead, it's McDavid leading the rush off a quick reset. Despite a valiant defensive effort from Seider, McDavid is able to find Evander Kane at the back post to make it 7-3, putting the game entirely beyond Detroit's reach.
The good news for the Red Wings is that even on the morning after the defeat, Detroit remains in a playoff position. However, their margin is down to just two points over New Jersey for the final spot in the East.
There's no need to panic for a team that's exceeded expectation already by making it this far, but there are no points left in the schedule Detroit can afford to squander. For the Red Wings to realize the present playoff push will be to repeat the feat they've pulled throughout 2024—coming out on the right side of slim margins. And that will have to start with not allowing last night's third period fester into tomorrow night's game in Vancouver.
Also from THN Detroit
Husso Injured Early as Red Wings Falter in Edmonton
How Will Post-Injury Patrick Kane Help Detroit's Playoff Push?
Red Wings Alumni Report: Pius Suter Finding Success with Canucks
As the Trade Deadline Approaches, the Red Wings Remain in the Battle
Fabbri Steps Away from Red Wings for Personal Reasons, Will Miss Start of Detroit's Road Trip