The Detroit Red Wings squandered an opportunity to keep building their momentum in what was a brutal, heartbreaking loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres. In case you missed the action, the Wings found themselves up 4-1 before Josh Doan started shifting momentum with a goal for the Sabres late in the second period.
Tage Thompson put up a goal just four minutes and 25 seconds into the third period, before Ryan McLeod pitched in with a short-handed goal at the 9:28 mark. The Wings had over 10 minutes to righten the wrong, but got shut out in the final frame, leading to an overtime period that saw a defensive defenseman in Mattias Samuelsson notch his third goal of the year to complete the comeback.
It's worth noting that the Sabres are one of the worst road teams in hockey, so the Red Wings have no excuse here. What's more? They find themselves going on the road on Sunday to face off with one of the NHL's worst home teams, the New York Rangers.
Detroit Red Wings get a shot at redemption against the Rangers
While the Rangers are on a three-game winning streak that included them getting their first home win in a 6-3 thrashing vs. the Nashville Predators, they are, overall, a terrible team at home. It took them over a month to secure that first home win, and they have been shut out a staggering five times in Madison Square Garden.
As with the Sabres game, this situation couldn't get any easier for the Red Wings. Only this time, they need to play 60 minutes of good hockey so they can skate away with the win and get at least three points from this back-to-back. It's also worth noting that the Rangers are also on a back-to-back, and they're flying back to the Garden after escaping Columbus, Ohio, with a shootout victory.
Ultimately, it's up to the Red Wings. How will they respond to that awful loss vs. the Sabres? We will find out tonight and see just how much they're thinking about that heartbreaker. If they skate into New York and play a bad game, then you'll know it's on their minds.
Other Red Wings tidbits
As November continues to heat up, so does trade season, and a few players could be on the move. One player who may be wearing another uniform this season is Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues, and a player like him would fit into the Red Wings' long-term plans thanks to his age, his contract, and his overall productivity. Here's a trade pitch regarding Kyrou potentially landing in Hockeytown.
A few teams have also checked in on Tage Thompson's availability, and he's another high-performing player firmly entrenched in his prime. He was a major factor in helping the Sabres in Saturday's win over the Red Wings, and he's also on a long-term, team-friendly contract. Here's why the Red Wings should, if nothing else, inquire about Thompson if the Sabres stay on a low trajectory.
Also on Saturday, Patrick Kane notched his 495th career goal, putting him one spot closer to the 500 Club. But he and teammate Alex DeBrincat recently set a record, one they started pursuing long before they reunited in Hockeytown. Check out what that record is and why it's so significant.