DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings experienced the same, old result Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, losing 4-2, but they came away with a different vibe.
As coach Derek Lalonde put it, “You want your overall game to look like that. If we replicate that performance, we’re going to win more times than not.”
The Red Wings outshot the Leafs 43-25, generated more scoring chances and spent more time in Toronto’s zone than their own. The difference was they didn’t capitalize on enough of their chances against Matt Murray while the Maple Leafs didn’t need many opportunities to chase Ville Husso from the game.
Husso, Detroit’s best player this season, had an off night, allowing four goals on 13 shots and getting replaced by Alex Nedeljkovic at 8:37 of the second period.
“I’m sure if you ask him, he’s going to want maybe three of the four back, but that’s a tough task to not face much action at all,” Lalonde said. “And then what we did give up was unfortunately too good of a look to too good of players.”
The Leafs’ star power showed. Auston Matthews scored from the slot on a three-on-one rush at 8:24 of the first period before William Nylander converted a rebound on the power play just 51 seconds later to give Toronto a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Mitch Marner’s goal 52 seconds into the second period on a shot that handcuffed Husso put Toronto ahead 3-1 and pretty much summed up the Red Wings’ night.
“That was a tough one,” Dylan Larkin said. “You don’t want to see your goalie get pulled but Huss will be the first one to say that he would like a few of those back and he said it to us.
“When Ned came in, I thought it gave us a little spark. He calmed things down. We’ve been relying a lot on Huss and a shot like that goes in it is deflating, but it happens. We just got to find a way the next game to get the next one when that happens. We didn’t tonight, but I thought our process was good all night.”
The Red Wings (11-5-5) had their four-game winning streak snapped. The Leafs (13-5-5) have won four in a row and are 7-0-2 in their past nine.
“We had a lot of chances, we just didn’t get the puck in the net,” Larkin said. “Credit to the way they played and Murray in net. We had looks in the slot, we had looks all around it. We didn’t capitalize. They capitalized on their chances. We didn’t give up much. They get a couple rush chances; one goes in early. It’s the way it goes.”
Toronto has won eight in a row from the Red Wings, all in regulation, outscoring them 44-20 in the process. But Larkin believes his team has closed the gap significantly.
“We believe every night we go into a building we have a chance to win,” Larkin said. “That’s the league we play in, anyone can beat anyone on any given night. We were right there. We play that game again, I think we put the puck in the net more.”
Moritz Seider opened the scoring at 4:45 of the first and had his shot from the point go in off Adam Erne at 12:41 of the third to cut the deficit to 4-2.
“I liked our game,” Lalonde said. “Just one of those nights. The puck just did not go our way, which is going to happen. I thought our guys hung in there. I thought they played the right way for the most part.”
The Red Wings host Buffalo Wednesday in the fourth game of their season-long five-game homestand.
“Have a good practice tomorrow and you find a way to win on Wednesday,” Lalonde said. “A team that isn’t a winning team, or still finding themselves, now you play poorly on Wednesday and you’re in the midst of a two-game losing streak. I’m excited to see how this team is going to handle this.”
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