The Red Wings don't get a reprieve from the NHL schedule to allow their injured players to heal, and they have no choice but to continue forward and put together points in the standings if they are to return to the playoffs.
The shorthanded Detroit Red Wings knew that they were in for a fight on Thursday evening against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
While they played a good road game, they ultimately fell short by a 4-1 final score.
Tampa forward Brayden Point, who was selected in the third round (79th overall) in 2014 by Steve Yzerman, shut down Detroit's comeback attempt with a goal late in the third period, halting what had been their effort to knot the score at 2-2.
Jake Guentzel, who broke the ice with the game's first goal early in the second period, salted it away with an empty-net goal soon afterward.
While the Red Wings halved the Lightning lead thanks to a nifty redirect from J.T. Compher in the third period, they weren't able to come up with the tying marker.
Detroit continues to play without both Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, along with David Perron. However, they have no choice but to press on and get elevated performances from the players they have available to them.
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"We need some offensive production from some individuals that probably haven't produced enough of it, and when they do get the looks, they've got to find a way to finish it," head coach Todd McLellan said afterward. "Guys have to step up, it's just the way it is."
Compher, who scored Detroit's lone goal, echoed McLellan's sentiments by saying that everyone who is able to play must raise their game level.
"We know the situation with our lineup, that it's not going to be super pretty," he said. "Every guy just got to continue to raise their level, scratch and claw, and find any way we can to get points."
The Red Wings, who have now lost three of their last four games in regulation, conclude their road trip on Saturday evening by meeting the Dallas Stars, one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Because of the loss by the Boston Bruins to the San Jose Sharks, Detroit remains in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, with the Bruins only one point behind.
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