Derek Lalonde reacts accordingly to the ‘very frustrating' 3rd period for his Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night in Edmonton.
The third period of last night's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers turned into a nightmare for the Detroit Red Wings. Despite staging an impressive comeback from a two-goal deficit to level the score at three apiece, the Red Wings found themselves overwhelmed as the Oilers, fueled by six assists from star captain Connor McDavid, unleashed an onslaught of five goals in the final period, sealing an 8-4 victory. For coach Derek Lalonde, it marked a frustrating conclusion to a game where his team had shown promise in the initial 40 minutes.

Derek Lalonde reacts accordingly to the frustrating 3rd-period meltdown
It was an especially disappointing setback for Lalonde, who saw plenty of positives from his team leading up to the decisive final period against the Oilers' formidable offensive lineup.
“Very frustrating,” Lalonde vented afterward. “It's going to be a frustrating game to watch because we did a lot of good things to get a game like that to 3-3, and to let it slip away it's a little frustrating. The bottom line is, too much easy offense. Not a lot of it, but too much easy for a team (Edmonton) that doesn't need easy offense.”
Detroit capitalized on numerous high-percentage scoring opportunities in the 2nd period, with goals from both Joe Veleno and Patrick Kane leveling the score at three goals apiece. Additionally, they outshot the host Oilers by a margin of 16-11 during this period.
“The second period was probably one of the more lopsided periods we had,” Lalonde said. “We had it 12-3 chances for (the Wings). Unfortunately, we were unlucky with some goalposts and crossbars and we don't get out of it with the lead. It's disappointing we didn't handle managing the third (period) better.”
It doesn't sound like Ville Husso will be available any time soon
Meanwhile, Husso was forced out of the game before the first period reached its midpoint, succumbing to yet another lower-body ailment. This setback occurred as he was making his return to the ice for the first time since mid-December, having previously battled the same injury.
“He hurt himself previous to the (Draisaitl) goal, hence he couldn't move laterally on the goal,” Lalonde said. “It's unfortunate for him, especially because he's fought real hard and worked hard to get back to this point. It's going to be a setback again.
“We'll know a little more (before Thursday's practice, the Wings are off Wednesday) but it feels very similar to his previous injury there.”
If Husso is sidelined for an extended period once again, the Red Wings may consider turning to the trade market to bolster their goaltending tandem of Lyon and James Reimer. With the trade deadline looming less than a month away on March 8, Detroit has a limited window to explore potential reinforcements.
TL;DR (too long didn't read)
- The Detroit Red Wings experienced a 3rd-period collapse on Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oilers, surrendering five goals in the final 20 minutes to lose 8-4
- Head coach Derek Lalonde reacts accordingly to the disappointing result, considering the positive things they did in the first 40 minutes of play
- Ville Husso suffered another lower-body ailment and isn't expected to be available any time soon.

Bottom Line: On to Vancouver
The Detroit Red Wings must swiftly put last night's disappointing game behind them and refrain from letting any lingering negativity affect their performance, especially with another matchup against the Vancouver Canucks looming on Thursday evening.
With Husso unavailable, either Lyon or Reimer will be tasked with starting in the net at Rogers Arena. The game is scheduled for 10:00 PM, and viewers can catch the action on Bally Sports Detroit, while radio coverage will be provided by 97.1 The Ticket.