Detroit Red Wings falls, 5-2, to Florida Panthers, have lost 10 of last 12 games
The Detroit Red Wings were in trouble soon after the game began, and weren't able to undo the early damage.
The Florida Panthers had more at stake in Monday's game at Little Caesars Arena, as they are trying to secure a hold of one of the wild card spots. The built two-goal leads three times, and used the last one to secure a 5-2 victory.
Ville Husso faced multiple quality chances. Pius Suter's 13th goal breathed some life into the first period, and Dylan Larkin's 26th goal made it 3-2 with 12:07 to play. But Eric Staal scored with 3:52 to play, and Carter Verhaeghe added his second goal of the game, during a power play, to run away with what had been a close game.
Since winning seven of eight games on Feb. 23, the Wings have gone 2-9-1.
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Early damage
The Wings started slow and paid for it. They got lucky early – Gustav Forsling's attempt hit the crossbar and dropped into the paint, where the puck lay loose until Ville Husso was able to cover it; Anthony Duclair seemed to have a clear shot on a wraparound, but shot wide. But when Lucas Raymond gifted the Panthers a chance with a turnover in Detroit's zone, Sam Bennett fed Matthew Tkachuk for a 1-0 lead at 7:28. Carter Verhaeghe fired a shot through traffic that eluded Husso while Bennett and Andrew Copp were by the crease.
Suitable goal
The Wings challenged goaltender interference on the Verhaeghe goal, but video review showed that no infractions occurred prior to the goal. That meant the Wings were assessed a delay of game call, further hindering their efforts. But they got out of the first period in decent shape. David Perron carried the puck from the right flank to Florida's net, seemingly beating Sergei Bobrovsky only to have the puck hit the goal post. Perron got his stick on the puck again and fed it into the paint, where Pius Suter was able to knock it up. It was a big goal because it doused some of the momentum the Panthers had built. It was Suter's second goal in two games and third point in four games.
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Edvinsson's role
Simon Edvinsson, the No. 6 pick from 2021 who made his debut Saturday, was in the lineup for a second time because Gustav Lindstrom remained out with an undisclosed injury. Coach Derek Lalonde said after the morning skate there weren't plans to make the emergency call-up a regular one, meaning Edvinsson is ticketed for the minors once the Wings have six regulars available again. Edvinsson arguably would be well served to spend nine games with the Wings, enough to get a solid taste of what it takes, but not enough to burn a year of his entry-level contract. He hasn't looked out of place, and, has drawn penalties in both games.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings falls, 5-2, to Florida Panthers, have lost 10 of 12
