Familiar story: Red Wings lose late lead, fall in OT

Detroit — Another game into overtime, and another Red Wings loss.

It’s becoming a ritual, and one that is sinking the Red Wings’ season.

Boston’s Brad Marchand scored 35 seconds into overtime Wednesday, rallying the Bruins a 3-2 victory.

It was Marchand who set up David Pastrnak at 18:34 of the third period, tying the score at 2 and forcing the extra time.

Which these days is right where opponents want the Red Wings, who have only won once in their last 11 games (1-5-5).

BOX SCORE: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2, overtime

“You have to find ways to win these games in overtime,” forward Justin Abdelkader said. “We set ourselves up well. It would be nice to close it out, and that’s two big points for us and not give them any.

“Now they walk out with two points, and we get one, and it’s a big difference.”

It was the sixth consecutive loss in overtime games for the Red Wings’ (11-13-7) this season.

“When we go to overtime we believe we can win that game, get that second point,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “But it keeps getting harder when we don’t get it.”

Tomas Tatar (power play) and Dylan Larkin (shorthanded) scored the Red Wings goals.

Noel Acciari scored the other goal for the Bruins (15-9-4).

The Red Wings appeared to be in great shape when Larkin scored shorthanded at 11:34 of the third period.

Darren Helm gathered a loose puck and fed Larkin streaking alone down the middle of the ice.

Larkin froze goalie Tuukka Rask with a move, and neatly deposited his fifth goal, giving the Red Wings a 2-1 lead.

It was the Red Wings' fifth shorthanded goal of the season, two more than they had all last season.

But Boston tied it 2-2 on Pastrnak’s 15th goal at 18:34.

The Bruins pulled Rask, and with the extra skater, Marchand found Pastrnak alone at the post for an easy tap past goalie Jimmy Howard.

“We got a little tired there, we didn’t have enough pressure below the tops of the circles,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “We don’t want to be that passive. We have to make sure to have more pressure.

“The second thing I’d say is, we were in the right spots but we didn’t make a play on the puck. Ultimately the puck went through multiple guys and we have to make a play.

“Good play by Marchand but we certainly were in the right spots. We have to make a play on the puck.”

In overtime Marchand took a pass from Torey Krug (Livonia/Michigan State), got free for a moment behind Mike Green and slipped the puck past Howard.

It was another discouraging loss, and another point slipped away in the standings.

Blashill doesn’t think lack of confidence is becoming an issue, despite the late losses.

“When you haven’t done it you might lose a little bit (confidence) but we better find it,” Blashill said. “Confidence comes from within, so every guy in those situations has to find a way to be confident and expect good things to happen.

“We have to make sure we make those plays in the end.”

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

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