I’m… not sure what to say. The Red Wings came into Wednesday’s game against the Bruins in desperate need of a win. They lost an inner-division win to the Florida Panthers on Monday (in overtime) and here they were faced with another. This was a “must-win” game according to many and Detroit played like it until the final minutes.

There was no scoring in the first period, despite both teams being rewarded with a powerplay. The Wings did outshoot the Bruins 9-2 (7-1 at 5v5) and out-attempted them 17-7 (14-6 at 5v5). For all intents and purposes, they were completely outplaying the Atlantic Division’s third place team.

The first goal of the game came midway through the second period. Patrice Bergeron was serving a tripping penalty when Tomas Tatar streaked into the left faceoff circle and wired a shot past a screened Tukka Rask.

Boston fought back in this period, tying Detroit in shots at 14-14 (12-9 at 5v5). Despite this Bruins push, Detroit escaped the period with the lead.

Only a few minutes into the third period the Bruins pressure finally paid off. Noel Acciari scored a dirty one down low on Jimmy Howard, just hacking away at the puck.

This is one of those goals where the blame is placed on Red Wings defensemen. They needed to clear that puck out of the zone. Now, it seemed, we were destined for overtime. Enter: Dylan Larkin.

At the halfway mark of the period, the Wings were killing off a holding penalty by Mike Green when Larkin came streaking into the Boston zone with the puck on his stick.

It was a beautiful pass by Darren Helm and an even better finish by Larkin who utilized his backhand to perfection. Finally, the Wings were going to win a game in regulation that they deserved to win! But the Bruins, as they often do, had other plans in mind.

It was the dying minutes of the period when Brad Marchand spotted David Pastrnak across the slot all alone. He made no mistake and put the puck right on Pastrnak’s stick. Pastrnak made no mistake and put the puck right into the open net. It was a 2-2 game and, as it turned out, overtime was upon us.

3-on-3 has not been Detroit’s forte this year. Poor on-ice decisions paired with poor coaching match-ups had left them 0-5. Tonight was no different. The Wings got caught in the Bruins end and Brad Marchand was sprung on a breakaway. Marchand is a pesky player, but he never misses his chance. He buried it past Howard, sending the Wings home with a single point and disappointed once again.

Honestly, until the dying minutes of the third period, there wasn’t much to be upset about here. Detroit played a good game and lost. Again. They can take as many shots and shot attempts as they want, but sooner or later, they need to start scoring on their opportunities.

Tonight’s Motor City MVP is none other than “D-Boss” Dylan Larkin! Larkin was due for a goal and the fact that it came shorthanded made it all the more sweeter. Keep ’em coming D-Boss!

Next up, Detroit faces the Toronto Maple Leafs at home. So far this week, the Wings have managed to get 2 points out of their division rivals. Hopefully they can collect another 2 at LCA on Friday. Puck drop is at 7:30 P.M ET and you can catch the game on Fox Sports Detroit or TSN4 if you’re watching in Canada. As always, Brock Seguin will have your game day preview early Friday afternoon.