On a challenging night for the Detroit Red Wings, the team faced a tough setback against the Florida Panthers, losing forward Andrew Copp to injury and squandering two one-goal leads. The Panthers tied the game in the final minutes of regulation and then clinched the win with just 14 seconds left on the clock.
Andrew Copp, stepping in for the injured Dylan Larkin, suffered an injury when former Red Wing Tomas Nosek fell onto his leg during a face-off. Copp's status for the next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning is doubtful, adding to Detroit's woes.
Despite these hurdles, the Red Wings know there's no room for self-pity. As McLellan put it post-game, “It’s a big ask, but nobody’s feeling sorry for the Red Wings.
We have a job to do. The first thing we have to do is recover from this loss.
And then we have to figure out how to plug some holes.”
Marco Kasper gave Detroit a 3-2 lead in the third period with his seventh goal of the season. However, the Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe equalized with 90 seconds remaining, capitalizing on a failed clearing attempt by Simon Edvinsson.
Verhaeghe then scored the game-winner on an odd-man rush, with the puck deflecting off Justin Faulk, who had just joined Detroit from St. Louis.
McLellan expressed his preference for a more conservative play from Edvinsson, suggesting the puck should have been cleared via the glass to ensure defensive stability. “When you’re the last guy back with a forest in front of you, that puck has to find a way to at least gain the blue line,” he noted.
Adding to the frustration, replays indicated the Panthers had six players on the ice before the decisive goal, but no penalty was called. “In my opinion, too many men on the ice, but I’m not the referee,” McLellan remarked.
With Larkin and likely Copp out, the Red Wings face the task of regrouping quickly as they prepare to take on the Lightning. The resilience of the team will be tested, but the focus remains on recovery and adaptation in the face of adversity.