Detroit — The Red Wings will have plenty of time to sit and stew over this loss.
They’re off for the next six days because of the All-Star break, and the Wings will not be in a good mood after Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Los Angeles.
Phillip Danault’s second goal of the game, and 12th of the season, at 12 minutes, 12 seconds of the third period broke a 2-2 tie. Danault converted a nice pass on a 2-on-1 rush with Trevor Moore past goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, shortly after the Wings had tied the game.
BOX SCORE: Kings 5, Red Wings 3
“I didn’t think our battle level was nearly good enough,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Our compete and battle level has been real good (this season) but tonight they were harder on sticks and stopping on pucks, better than us.”
Viktor Arvidsson scored an empty-net goal at 18:33, giving the Kings a 4-2 lead.
But Joe Veleno scored his first goal in 18 games, and fourth of the season, with 46.8 seconds left, cutting the Kings lead to 4-3 and giving the Wings some hope.
Adrian Kempe’s empty-net goal, though, with 10 seconds left, ended the scoring.
“I just didn’t think we had very good pace and energy in what we were doing on the ice,” defenseman Marc Staal said. “We just didn’t have much of push back in those first two (periods). Ned (Nedeljkovic) plays an outstanding game to keep it as close as it was in the first two (periods) for sure.”
Tyler Bertuzzi scored his career-high 22nd goal in the third period, briefly tying it 2-2. Gustav Lindstrom lifted a shot that Bertuzzi, alone near the post, redirected past goaltender Jonathan Quick at 8:39.
Red Wings’ Pat Verbeek reportedly set to become GM of Anaheim Ducks
The goal sparked the Wings, who pressured well the rest of the period. But the Danault odd-man rush goal was a crusher the Wings couldn’t recover from.
“When you don’t win stick battles, you don’t have the puck enough,” Blashill said. “We had too many guys with their ‘B’ or ‘C’ games, maybe, and we can’t afford that.”
The Wings are off until Jan. 9 (hosting Philadelphia), but the Kings aren’t playing again until Feb. 15. Still, it was the Kings who were harder team to play against over 60 minutes.
“The games before the break are a little bit of a crapshoot, and what you’re going to get from both teams,” Blashill said. “They were better than us. I didn’t think we had the same jump that we’ve had.”
Michael Rasmussen gave the Wings a first-period lead, but Kings goals from Danault and Arthur Kaliyev in the second period erased the Wings’ lead.
Danault tied the game in the second period and ignited a Kings’ surge the rest of the period. Danault drove to the net after a shot by Austin Strand, the puck bounced off Nedeljkovic’s right shoulder, and Danault batted the puck in for his 11th goal at 12:47.
The Kings sustained the pressure and took the lead on Kaliyev’s goal at 18:11. Strand again got the primary assist — there were his first two points in the NHL — with a shot from the high slot that Kaliyev redirected past Nedeljkovic for his eighth goal.
Red Wings learning how to win tight, defensive games
Rasmussen opened the the scoring late in the first period. After Filip Zadina made a fine backcheck to prevent a possible Kings’ goal, Rasmussen put back a rebound of Zadina’s shot on the other end. It was Rasmussen’s fifth goal, giving the Wings a 1-0 lead at 17:05.
The Kings outshot the Wings 45-25, and only the work of Nedeljkovic kept the Wings as close as they were.
“They like to slow it down and clog it up and we were doing a decent job of getting through that,” Staal said. “But at the same time, you have to win pucks and spend time in the offensive zone and there wasn’t much of that.
“They’re a smart hockey team. They kind of take what is given and they took what we gave them. We have to learn from nights like this.”
The Wings will have plenty of time to think about this loss, while getting plenty of rest before starting the final push to the end of the regular season.
“It’s unfortunate after the game we played (Monday, a 2-1 overtime win over Anaheim),” Staal said. “We were pretty solid, gave up 15 shots, and give up 45 (Wednesday). We go into the break and get energized and get excited for the second half, just like everybody else.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan