Detroit Red Wings nearly let Kings march back into it with shaky third period

The Detroit Red Wings were coming off of a tough loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. However, the Red Wings held one of the league's hottest teams to three goals in an overtime loss. The final goal was a bit of a nail in the coffin, but the Red Wings were back in action on Saturday night with a fresh slate.

The Los Angeles Kings were in town after the Detroit Red Wings took it to them on home ice during the road trip sweep out west. But the Kings were looking to steal one from Detroit in their barn. Early on, it was a boxing match for Detroit. The Red Wings scored first as Dylan Larkin grabbed his first of two with a beauty of a goal from down around the goal line.

It was quite the angle, but he found a way to beat Kings netminder Cam Talbot. However, the Kings answered back as Quinton Byfield grabbed his first goal of the game to make it a 1-1 game. The teams traded blows and scoring chances early, but after 20 minutes, things were tied up; it was the second period where things got chaotic.

The Detroit Red Wings' defense was better, though still inconsistent.

The Red Wings' defense on the Kings' first goal could have been better, with players leaving players wide open, a typical occurrence with the defense core. However, they cleaned things up a bit in the second half. They played more of a man-to-man defense, with players staying on their assignment and looking the part of a better defensive club.

Larkin grabbed his second goal to make it 2-1, with another good goal working in front of the net and cleaning up the rebound on the powerplay. After that, Robby Fabbri made it 3-1 on a nice play, crashing the net after a scoring chance between Christian Fischer and Daniel Sprong.

Quickly after, Patrick Kane made it 4-1 after an absolutely gorgeous goal. He made a really nice move against Talbot, beating him in tight to add to the Red Wing's lead. He showed off his impeccable hands and put them on display for Red Wings fans, showing exactly why he was brought in to join this team.

In a heap of chaos, the Kings were able to score a goal, though it was later overturned due to Mikey Andersson's goaltender interference. Things started to die down a bit, but nearing the end of the period, the Red Wings tacked on another goal to carry a 5-1 lead into the break. Andrew Copp grabbed another goal after a tip-in from a Jeff Petry shot into traffic.

The chaotic second took all of the Detroit Red Wings' energy.

The fifth goal was the nail in the coffin for Kings netminder Cam Talbot. However, the Red Wings came out in the third and started to collapse. It was a challenging period to watch as the team started to let the Kings tilt the ice. Pierre Luc-Dubois stole one from Alex Lyon, who was sharp all night long, with one that squeaked through and got across the goal line.

Anze Kopitar was left wide open on the penalty kill, and Byfield used his big body and abilities in front of the net to clean up a rebound and add a goal. The Red Wings were able to capture the 5-3 win, but the last ten minutes or so were stressful. The defense was frantic and left players open all over the ice, letting the Kings manufacture some scoring chances.

Luckily for Detroit, Lyon was able to stand on his head and keep the Red Wings alive in this one. However, as the Red Wings head into Toronto to face off with the Maple Leafs, they will be in a tough spot.