Red Wings collapse, allow 2 goals in 18 seconds in loss to Blues

The Detroit Red Wings were treated to a couple of players scoring their first goals of the season in a Halloween matinee.The treats soon turned to tricks as the Wings saw a two-goal lead turn into a one-goal deficit during a five-minute span in the third period against the St. Louis Blues in a matinee at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, Oct. 31.The Wings ended up losing, 5-4.It was a lesson in not getting comfortable, as the Wings looked in command, up 4-2, early in the third period. But lackadaisical defense and a subpar performance from John Gibson left the Wings booed at home when the Blues scored three straight goals, including two 18 seconds apart. Gibson was pulled with three minutes to go for teh extra attacker, and the Wings took their timeout a minute later.POWER PLAYER: Viktor Arvidsson is boosting Detroit Red Wings' energy − and offenseWho playedUp front, Emmitt Finnie centered Alex DeBrincat and Viktor Arvidsson, Andrew Copp was with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, J.T. Compher with Michael Rasmussen and Nate Danielson, and Sheldon Dries with Carter Mazur and Keegan Kolesar.On the back end, Moritz Seider paired with Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk with William Wallinder, and Anton Johansson with Andreas Englund. Jacob Bernard-Docker, called up Friday at the same time that Axel Sandin-Pellikka was sent to the minors, was scratched and Albert Johansson missed the game with injury.TreatedThe Wings evened the score at a goal apiece at 8:13 thanks to a Blues mistake. Danielson played the puck around the boors, and goalie Joel Hofer came behind his net to play the puck, only to lose it. Rasmussen pounced on the puck and swung out front, where Compher finished the play for his first goal of the season.It was a good day for first goals: Kolesar followied up with his 41 seconds into the first period. Faulk, the former Blues defenseman, broke up a play in front of Detroit's net and the puck came to Mazur. He rushed up ice, and with Kolesar behind St. Louis' defense, Kolesar was sprung for a breakaway that ended with Kolesar's first as a Wings.Raymond contributed his fifth goal of the season ( and his fifth in the past seven games) when he picked up the puck at the goal line of St. Louis' net, swung out, cut through traffic, went to the slot and fired a shot from between the circles that sank behind Hofer at 13:14 of the second.Finnie added to the fun with his sixth goal of the season, during a Wings power play early in the third period. Raymond fired a puck across the slot that ended up bouncing off Connor McMichael's stick and right to Finnie, who made quick work for a 4-2 lead at 3:29.TrickedDailibor Dvorskyn scored 2:29 into the game when he took a slick feed from Justin Barron off the rush, cut to the net and bested Gibson with a backhand shot. That was the Blues' only shot on net in the first period. They didn't register another shot on net untiul 9:07 of the second period.Jimmy Snuggerud scored the Blues' second goal with 28 seconds on the clock in the second period. Robert Thomas brought the puck along the end boards to the crease, stepping out front on a play that ended with Snuggerud tipping the puck into Detroit's net.Gibson looked great making a save in the third period as the puck trickled into the paint, spinning around and extending his left arm covered it up with his glove..Pavel Buchnevich edged the Blues back within a goal midway through the third period, on a wrist shot from the slot, and they tied it when Justin Barron took advantage of sloppy defensive coverage to fire a clean shot up the middle. Eighteen seconds later, the Blues had a 5-4 lead on a goal from Aleksanteri Kasimaki.Next up: Sunshine statement?After their brief two-game homestand, the Wings head out for an even shorter road trip against some Atlantic Division rivals: Two games in two days on either side of Florida, starting on the east side with a matchup against the Florida Panthers on Monday, Nov. 2 (7 p.m., Detroit Sports Network). That’s followed by a game Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are dealing with their own superstar trade request in Nikita Kucherov (though at least he’s still playing). The Wings return home Thursday for a visit from the Vegas Golden Knights.Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Wings collapse, allow 2 goals in 18 seconds in loss to Blues