The Detroit Red Wings were defeated 4-3 in a shootout by the Columbus Blue Jackets, dealing another blow to their fading playoff chances.
The feelings of letdown inside the Detroit Red Wings' dressing room following their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets were palpable.
Defenseman Justin Faulk, who scored twice, was very soft-spoken. Team captain Dylan Larkin, who scored in the first period and is also playing injured, was despondent.
The Red Wings were 16.1 seconds away from a badly-needed regulation victory, and instead, it was a pair of former Michigan Wolverines who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Adam Fantilli scored the game-tying goal late in regulation, followed by the shootout winner from Zach Werenski, giving the Red Wings their seventh setback in their last nine games, during which they've collected five of a possible 18 points.
"Tough to let that one get away from us there at the end of the third and for them to get back in it," an obviously upset Faulk said afterward. "Obviously, a chance in overtime and (the) shootout is a coin flip. Tough to not seal that one up."
Faulk continued:
“It’s tough," he said. "Like I said, it’s a tough time of year. It’s important to close out games, extend games. It’s not a good feeling right now to let that happen.”
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Faulk scored a beauty of a goal in the second period, cutting through multiple Blue Jackets and beating goaltender Jet Greaves on the glove side. It gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead, only to have Columbus respond courtesy of Werenski on the power-play following a penalty to David Perron.
He also scored off a one-timer later in the third period for what appeared to be the game-winning goal until the Blue Jackets spoiled the party late in regulation. The Red Wings iced the puck multiple times late in the frame with Greaves on the bench, leading to the game-tying goal.
Larkin, who has endured both the seasons when Detroit fell well short of a playoff spot and the more recent years when they narrowly missed, hopes this loss didn’t signal the death blow for their centennial campaign.
“That’s a disappointing finish to that game. We’re going to have to find something," he said. "I hope that’s not the one, and I hope the Minnesota one isn’t the one that’s the final nail in the coffin. I hope we get some help and we have something to play for to get in.”
With a victory by the Ottawa Senators over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, they moved three points ahead of the Red Wings for the final Wild Card postseason spot.
The Red Wings have four games remaining, beginning Thursday against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
Until then, it's not a good feeling that the players have right now.
“Not much right now, not much," Larkin said when asked about positives from the game. "That’s a letdown and in tough fashion again. Played a good 57 minutes, I don’t know. Good overtime. Not much to say right now.”
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