RECAP: Compher tallies two points in Red Wings’ 5-2 loss to Blue Jackets

DETROIT -- On Thursday night -- the first half of a home-and-home set that will conclude in two days with the 2025 NHL Stadium Series at Ohio Stadium – the Detroit Red Wings couldn’t dig out of a second-period hole in a 5-2 loss to Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena.

Goalie Cam Talbot made 25 saves for Detroit (30-23-6; 66 points), while netminder Danil Tarasov finished with 29 saves for Columbus (29-22-8; 66 points). The two clubs are now tied for the Eastern Conference’s first Wild-Card spot.

“You look at the type of opportunities we gave us, anything up high we had opportunities to knock pucks down with our bodies and be in shooting lanes, and we weren’t,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “You have to give them credit for creating some of those lanes, then anything around the net I didn’t think we were playing like we have in the past and like we’re capable of doing.

“The one guy that did a real good job in and around that area was (Talbot). I thought he made some incredible saves. The game could have been much worse than it was. Disappointing from that standpoint, and a few other areas as well.”

Talbot stopped all nine shots he faced, even denying Blue Jackets captain Booner Jenner on a breakaway just after a Red Wings power play expired, during a first period that ended scoreless. Lucas Raymond had the best look for Detroit that man advantage, but his shot from deep rang off the post.

Extending his point streak to eight consecutive games, Alex DeBrincat opened the scoring with his club-leading 27th goal of the season just 27 seconds into the second period. J.T. Compher fed DeBrincat backdoor, and he one-timed the cross-slot pass past Tarasov to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead.

“If you could have took him and rubbed him on a few of our other guys tonight, we’d have a real good chance,” McLellan said about DeBrincat, who matched the longest point streak by any player entering an NHL outdoor game. “In every situation, there’s nothing he backs down from.”

However, the Blue Jackets responded with four straight goals in the second period. At 4:18, they tied it 1-1 when James van Riemsdyk tipped Jake Christiansen’s shot past Talbot. Sean Kuraly pushed them ahead 2-1 at 9:43, batting a puck out of the air in front of the net before knocking it in past Talbot with his stick.

Then after Kent Johnson got a piece of Fabbro’s shot from the point that made it 3-1 at 12:08, Riemsdyk scored his second of the frame just 1:37 later to extend it to 4-1.

“We got to be in the shooting lane in the first place and then as defensemen, we just got to pick up sticks,” Seider said about limiting tip-in goals. “Either we try to block it, or we get a stick on their forward, but we got to do either one. They just can’t get behind our goal line that easy.”

Detroit grabbed one back on its second power play of the night, as Compher whacked home a bouncing puck from the slot to get it to 4-2 at 16:39 of the second period. Earning the assists on Compher’s seventh goal of the season were Jonatan Berggren and Erik Gustafsson.

“He took a lot of face-offs tonight,” McLellan said about Compher, who recorded his sixth multi-point game of the season. “He was our best face-off guy. On a night where maybe a few of our other centers weren’t up to snuff if you will, he gave us what he could and gave us a pretty good night.”

Kuraly appeared to give Columbus a three-goal lead about halfway through the third period, but the referees quickly waived it off after video review confirmed the 32-year-old forward kicked the puck into the net.

The Blue Jackets sealed the 5-2 final on Kirill Marchenko’s empty-net goal with 57 seconds remaining.

While the Red Wings are eager to experience everything this weekend will entail, Compher pointed out they have to stay focused on the task at hand.

“Tomorrow is the day for fun -- skating with the family, seeing the rink for the first time and enjoying it,” Compher said. “When we get to Saturday, its normal routine. We know what’s at stake and how important every point is, so when Saturday comes around it’ll be about executing our game plan to the best of our ability.”

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on Columbus’ heavy game

“Their heaviness was directing pucks to the net, volume shooting and going to the blue paint. We’ve worked in practice on some body position, box outs and fronting. But if the puck doesn’t get there, you don’t have to even do that. I thought we did a real poor job of doing some of the hard things tonight.”

Compher on Thursday’s matchup

“Todd talked about it [defending in front of the net] throughout the game, even as a key before, and I feel like both sides, offense and defense, were pretty hungry in front of the net. They play with good sticks all over the ice. We weren’t as sharp or crisp as we needed to be to break them down.”

Seider on the Blue Jackets’ forecheck

“They close quick. I think we handled the pressure pretty well. I thought we broke the puck out fairly clean. Other than that, we just got out competed today. Obviously, that’s a hard one to swallow, but we have a great chance of bouncing back in two days and can make up for it. We know they’re a good team. We just got to up our level a little bit.”

Seider on the intensity level of Thursday’s contest

“I think it’s always a little extra against Columbus. Obviously, a younger team as we’re trying to be. Almost in the same situation. Yeah, I think it was a little bit extra. Emotions are a great thing for our sport, especially for our locker room. Now, we just have to translate into our next game. Obviously, it’s going to be special but we got to come up with two points no matter what.”