'We're right there': Wings fail to capitalize in playoff race, lose to Rangers

Detroit — The playoff race continues for the Red Wings, likely will to the very end of the season, and they are going to kick themselves over missed opportunites like Friday's game at Little Caesars Arena.

With teams ahead of them losing, the Wings failed to take advantage, falling 4-3 to the New York Rangers.

Chris Kreider broke a 3-3 tie with a power-play goal, his 37th goal, at 10 minutes, 14 seconds of the third period. Kreider, battling in front of the net, gathered the puck and patiently tucked it behind goaltender Alex Lyon, giving the Rangers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The Wings (37-31-8, 82 points) failed to gain any ground in the playoff race, remaining just outside a wild-card spot. Philadelphia and Washington, ahead of the Wings marginally in the standings, both lost.

So, the New York Islanders moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points, while Philadelphia fell into the second wild-card spot with 83. Washington and Detroit both trail with 82 points, while Pittsburgh has 81 and Buffalo, still lurking after defeating the Flyers, have 79 points (the Wings host Buffalo Sunday).

The Wings could have moved into playoff position. Instead, now, they are hoping for a little more help.

BOX SCORE: Rangers 4, Red Wings 3

"Of course it's going to sting, every game is so magnified right now," coach Derek Lalonde said. "But we're right back at it Sunday. We have six games left. We have to keep at it. Missed opportunity tonight, and we have another on Sunday.

"Everyone was up against it tonight (in the playoff chase) with the competition and who they were playing. We did get help around the league but we have to care of it ourselves."

The Rangers (52-21-4, 108 points) moved closer to securing home-ice through the playoffs.

Andrew Copp (13th goal), J.T. Compher (17th goal) and Dylan Larkin (power play, 30th) added the Wings' goals. For Larkin, it was his third consecutive season reaching the 30-goal mark, becoming the fourth Wing to accomplish the feat (Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Henrik Zetterberg).

Larkin gave the Wings a 3-2 lead at 13:04 of the second period, putting in a rebound of David Perron's shot that bounced off the crossbar. But the Rangers came right back and tied it 3-3 on Barclay Goodrow's second goal of the game 25 seconds later. The Rangers came down on an odd-man rush and Goodrow put back a rebound past Lyon.

"We played hard, good enough to get a point, or get two points," Larkin said. "When you get to this time of year every time you drop a game it feels like an opportunity missed. It's been hard hockey, hard and tight and we've been talking about every play and make sure you make every play and we felt we left a couple out there which makes it hurt more this time of year.

"We're right there and it's frustrating not to get the two points."

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The Wings have Buffalo (Sunday) and Washington (Tuesday) at Little Caesars Arena before traveling Thursday to Pittsburgh. It'll be telling stretch of games for the Wings' playoff chances.

"There's belief in our room," Larkin said. "There's want and going forward we have Buffalo, Washington and Pittsburgh, all teams fighting for their lives, so it doesn't get any easier. But I expect us to be ready to play."

Goodrow had two of the Rangers' goals (third and fourth of season) and Will Cuylle (13th goal) had the other goal.

Cuylle opened the game's scoring, converting off an Austin Czarnik turnover and blasting a shot past Lyon at 5:58 of the first period. But Copp made it 1-1 at 7:17, his 13th goal, backhanding a loose puck in the slot past goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Goodrow scored his first goal of the game after the Rangers won a faceoff in the Wings' zone. Goodrow battled to the slot and put a backhander past Lyon with 29 seconds left in the first period, giving New York a 2-1 lead.

Those type of errors, said Lalonde, were the difference in the game.

"A little frustrating in that you can play a perfect game and lose to a team of that caliber, but I don't think we did that," Lalonde said. "We gave them a little too much. There were a couple of plays out there that ended up costing us and it's the time of year, especially against a team of that caliber, we pushed, we did some good things, but we gave them three looks on the power play and that's a good power play.

"We took that one (penalty, David Perron high-sticking) in the third and they cashed in."

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan