Red Wings Are Second Best . . . And Second Worst Yet Again

The script was a familiar one for the Detroit Red Wings. Start fast. Get the jump on the opposition. Grab the lead.

Then fade away like a sprinter in a distance race.

For the third successive loss, the Red Wings took a 1-o lead. Alex DeBrincat’s 36th goal of the season gave Detroit the advantage. It was the 10th time this season that DeBrincat opened the scoring for the Wings.

The Cat nets goal #36 on the season! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/3i8fwNlTIl

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 10, 2025

And then they never scored again. Thursday was an instant replay for Detroit in a 4-1 road loss to the Florida Panthers. It came two days after a 4-1 setback to the Canadiens at Montreal. The sports betting promotions had called it.

“We started well,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin told FanDuel Sports Detroit. “It’s a hard building to play and a really good team at home.

“And (Detroit coach) Todd (McLellan) talks about making a 10-minute game and then figuring the rest of the other 50 out. And we had a good first 10 minutes and then we didn’t figure the rest out.”

Second Period Again Red Wings Undoing

Florida’s relentless forecheck ultimately wore down the Red Wings. The Panthers would score three unanswered second-period goals to take control of the game.

Detroit has been outscored 80-61 in the second period this season.

“Just lack of details, on all of us like myself,” Larkin said. “Lose my man and (Brad) Marchand goes in and scores (to make it 3-1). It’s just unacceptable at this time of year.

HE HAS ARRIVED pic.twitter.com/Otx6BGl2u9

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) April 11, 2025

“I feel like tonight wasn’t up to the standard that we have and that’s frustrating and it’s hard to say, but just the goals. We gave up details. Our penalty kill’s been good and we give up a penalty kill goal.

“The power play didn’t show up again. That’s on me and that’s on our unit.”

Detroit Playoff Hopes Down To Last Breath

DeBrincat was lamenting the club’s missed chances. He was talking about recent games. He could’ve just as easily have been referring to another failed run at a spot in the NHL playoffs.

“I think even last game, dominated the first period, only went up one and didn’t get another one for the rest of the game,” DeBrincat said. “I think there’s a balance. We gotta be better in our own zone, but we also gotta bury our chances in the other zone.”

Detroit’s postseason chances aren’t completely dead in the water. However, the undertaker is preparing to hammer home the final nail in the coffin.

Friday, Detroit is in Tampa Bay, while Montreal travels to Ottawa. Any combination of points adding up to one will officially eliminate the Red Wings from playoff contention.

“Well, we’re frustrated,” McLellan acknowledged. “We’re just like everybody else. So that’s a real hard thing to answer.

“I got thoughts in my head that I’m not going to share with you or anybody else. I want to share them with the team and the players, individuals tomorrow. We will have meetings, but that’s for us to keep in our room and to share with the players what’s going on.”