DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings, for the second time in three games, played well enough to win Thursday and likely left the ice feeling they deserved a better fate.
But it doesn’t matter. The Utah Hockey Club scored twice in the third period to snap a tie and prevailed 4-2 at Little Caesars Arena, sending the Red Wings to their fourth consecutive regulation loss.
It was the final game before Friday’s 3 p.m. trading deadline.
The Red Wings (30-26-6, 66 points) have dropped three in a row at home, where they are 1-4-1 in their past six. They outshot Utah 39-19 but went 0 for 3 on the power play, failing to score on the man-advantage for the third consecutive game.
Utah is 28-25-9 (65 points).
Kevin Stenlund put Utah ahead 3-2 at 2:55 of the third, whipping a loose puck past Alex Lyon from close range after a shot hit Erik Gustafsson’s skate and he lost track of there the puck was.
Lawson Crouse capitalized on a defensive breakdown, taking the puck to the net and scoring at 7:51.
Carter Mazur, making his NHL debut before more than 200 family and friends, suffered an upper-body injury during his second shift and did not return. He was injured attempting to deliver a check on Jack McBain along the boards. The Red Wings recalled the gritty winger from the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday.
The Red Wings visit Washington on Friday (7 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network). The Capitals are tied for the league lead with 88 points.
It was the first meeting between the Red Wings and Utah, which relocated from Arizona after last season. The franchise has won four in a row against Detroit and is 8-0-1 in its past nine vs. the Red Wings.
The Red Wings led 2-1 after the first period on goals from Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren.
Larkin scored his 25th at 3:17, taking a pass from behind the net by Elmer Soderblom and firing in a shot from the slot while getting tripped by Lawson Crouse.
Berggren scored his 10th goal at 8:49, depositing the rebound of Tyler Motte’s shot past Karel Vejmelka.
Dylan Guenther scored on the game’s first shot at 2:08 of the first, firing the puck from a sharp angle after a backhand pass from Alexander Kerfoot.
Nick Schmaltz tied it at 2-2 on the power play, one-timing a pass from Barrett Hayton at 13:01 of the second.
