RECAP: Detroit’s third-period comeback bid falls short in 5-4 loss to Minnesota

DETROIT -- Despite storming all the way back from a three-goal, third-period deficit, the Detroit Red Wings couldn’t finish off the comeback in a 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon.

“We need to play like we did in the third period for more of the game,” J.T. Compher said. “We gave ourselves a chance. I think if we start better, it makes it a little easier on us, but the way we played in the third is the way we have to play for the rest of the games remaining.”

In his first start since March 3, goalie Cam Talbot made 15 saves as the Red Wings (40-29-8; 88 points) moved to 26-1-2 when scoring at least four goals this season. Netminder Filip Gustavsson turned aside 18 shots for the Wild (44-21-12; 100 points), who were also coming into Easter Sunday on the second leg of a back-to-back set.

“I don’t think we stop the bleeding when we start to bleed,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “Is that confidence? I don’t know. I think that’s mental fortitude – the ability to dig in and respond when it’s not going well…We just have to stop the bleeding when it starts.”

The Red Wings used their first shot of the game to stake a quick 1-0 lead just 1:40 into the first period. Off the stick of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, the puck slid parallel to the center red line across the ice to Albert Johansson, and the 25-year-old defenseman carried it through the neutral zone to the top edge of the left face-off circle before firing a wrist shot off the post and behind Gustavsson. A secondary assist on Johansson’s third goal of the season went to Patrick Kane.

“I thought we had a good start to the game,” Andrew Copp said. “Our first period was pretty good. We just had a very, very sleepy start to the second and it cost us. We’ve struggled to play full 60’s lately and can’t turn it on just when we’re down three, so got to find a way to play a full 60. The start wasn’t the issue tonight. We just had a sleepy start to the second.”

Only 18 seconds into the middle frame, Matt Boldy deposited a wrist shot during a 2-on-1 rush with Marcus Johansson to tie it 1-1 for Minnesota. Then at 1:25, Kirill Kaprizov scored his first goal of the afternoon when he redirected Ryan Hartman’s shot to make it 2-1.

Making it 3-1 at 7:03 of the second period, Vladimir Tarasenko snapped home a tough-angle shot just after the Wild’s first power play came to an end. Then Kaprizov struck again with 7:28 remaining in the frame, pushing them in front 4-1.

“You got to find a way to change it,” Compher said. “Sometimes, a hit, blocked shot or good shift sets up the next line to go. That’s a really good hockey team over there with skilled guys. When they have opportunities, they usually take advantage of them.”

Detroit answered with a crowd-energizing surge in the third period, beginning with Sandin-Pellikka’s seventh of the season to make it 4-2 at 7:18. The rookie blueliner was assisted by captain Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Compher trimmed the deficit to 4-3 at 11:14, tipping in Simon Edvinsson’s pass, with Marco Kasper collecting the secondary assist on his 11th of the year. A little bit later, Kane backhanded Alex DeBrincat’s feed behind Gustavsson to tie it 4-4 at 14:36. Copp also picked up an assist on Kane’s 15th of the season.

But with 1:51 left, Kaprizov completed his hat trick when he one-timed Boldy’s pass past Talbot for a power-play goal, and Minnesota fended off Detroit’s continued attempts to tie it again late for the 5-4 final.

“We’ve got to find a way to not let it weigh on us,” Copp said after the game. “We’ve got to free ourselves up...Think of these as opportunities, instead of, ‘What’s going to happen?’ Little bit of that going on, and we’ve got to try and channel that fun and that jam, and we’ve got five games left.” 

NEXT UP: The Red Wings will host the Columbus Blue Jackets for a huge Eastern-Conference clash at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night.

WHAT WAS SAID

McLellan on the start of Sunday’s matinee

“If I looked at the game tonight, I didn’t mind our first period. I thought we did some things that were well. I thought we missed the net and had shots blocked…But, we score first. We have a lead. We get in between periods and now we’re discussing what we’re going to do in the period coming up.”

Copp on what Detroit’s mentality must be when it comes to handling adversity

“We got to find a way to not let it weigh on us, you know? We got to find a way to free ourselves up. As soon as you let the outside noise start to impact what we’re doing in here, that’s when issues start to happen. Got to find a way to have fun with it, play free. Thinking of these as opportunities instead of what’s going to happen, so a little bit of that going on.”

Copp on shifting their focus 

“We’re not going to cry ourselves to sleep tonight and bail on the last five games. It’s just not the DNA in the room. It’s not the DNA of our profession in general. So, it’s going to suck tonight. Tomorrow’s an off day for us, after a back-to-back, regroup, and we’re going to come with the most amount of intensity and jam that we can bring on Tuesday. We’re not six feet under yet."