Detroit — This was a difficult road trip the Red Wings just completed, and they came out of it in decent shape.
They’ve been bumped out of the playoff bracket, but that’s more about uneven games played right now between teams. But at this point, a team wants to hang around and maintain positioning, and the Wings are doing that.
A 3-2 overtime loss Saturday in Dallas was disappointing. But the Wings earned a point, and salvaged a 2-1-1 road trip, earning five of eight points on the rugged road trip, and move on to the next challenges this week.
“I loved how we competed,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “For the most part it was a good effort from start to finish. We earned a point. It leaves a little bad taste in your mouth that we could’ve taken the two points and got a little more out of it. In the big picture, we win the road trip, but it felt like we could’ve gotten more out of it.”
After a dismal loss Thursday in Florida, Lalonde wanted to see how the Wings would respond in Dallas.
The defeat was one of the Wings’ worst efforts of the season, as the Panthers skated around and through the Wings with little retribution.
The Panthers’ offensive chances were too good to overcome.
But the Wings tightened things up against Dallas. This was more how the Wings looked like most of the trip, such as victories in Columbus and Tampa, where the Wings dictated the play.
If anything, Lalonde and players talked after Saturday’s game about expecting more from themselves against the elite teams.
“An excellent response; that’s what you look for,” Lalonde said. “We’ve been consistent with our game, especially of late. The Florida game was an outlier where we hadn’t played that poorly in a while, we lost a lot of battles, and we didn’t compete.
“The boys turned that around for the most part and they really showed that (Saturday).”
Still, it would have been nice, to secure the extra point, something the Wings have struggled with this season.
Saturday’s loss dropped the Wings to 2-6 this season in overtime (1-2 in the shootout), losing points that might be valuable later in the season.
“(Saturday) was a good response from the Florida effort and it’s a good team here (in Dallas),” said captain Dylan Larkin, whose turnover in OT led to Dallas going the other way and scoring. “We have to manage the puck and be a little better in overtime. Points are there and we haven’t always been able to capitalize on them this year. We’re thinking too much instead of playing what’s right in front of us, so we need to manage it and I have to be a leader of that there at the end.”
Memorable day
Game No. 1,000 of David Perron‘s career couldn’t have gone much better, except for the Wings not winning.
Perron tied the game late in the second period, his ninth goal, putting a stamp on his milestone game.
“(The goal) was a lucky bounce,” Perron said. “I was going to the net and felt it go off my stick and in the net. It gave me a little more energy after that. You have to deal with a lot of the nerves, like last night. You have to manage the energy and calm everything down because the excitement is high.
“With all the excitement and things going on, we competed well as a group. Five-on-five we were a good team, and we’re going to start expecting more and more out of the team when we perform like this.”
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The Wings’ bench roared when Perron got on the scoresheet. But for a length of time, the goal was credited to Ben Chiarot, who shot the puck, but video correctly determined Perron got on his stick on the puck to deflect it.
“It was a huge goal for us,” Larkin said. “We heard all about it that it went in. It’s good for us and it’s good for him on his 1,000th game. Pretty special and we’re happy for him.”
Perron had his parents François and Brigitte at the game, which made it extra special.
“It was really cool, starting (Friday) and having my parents here (in Dallas),” Perron said. “Knowing they were coming to the game is always fun. My mom doesn’t get out of the hometown a lot, so it was good to have her here.”
Ice chips
The Wings recalled goaltender Magnus Hellberg on Sunday from the minor-league affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins.
Hellberg was on a conditioning loan. Hellberg was in net for Saturday’s 4-0 loss in Hartford, stopping 41 shots. Hellberg wass 2-2-0, with a 2.50 goals-against average and .932 save percentage with the Griffins.
With goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic struggling, Hellberg could get a start soon, with Ville Husso continuing to get the bulk of the action.
… Dallas has become a difficult team for the Wings to figure out. The Stars have won the last 10 games at American Airlines Center against the Wings, and overall have won seven of the last eight games against the Wings, 10 of the last 12 (10-2-0), and 14 of the last 18 (14-4-0).
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tkulfan