Detroit — The holiday break can’t come quickly enough for the Red Wings.
With three days off coming up, like the rest of the NHL, the Wings headed into the time away from hockey Monday with a bah humbug-like 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
The Wings (13-17-4) head into the break with three consecutive losses and only three wins in their last 12 games (3-7-2). The way they’ve lost the last several games, also, will not dampen the speculation on coach Derek Lalonde’s job security or social media calling for every last Wings player to be traded.
And the holiday crowd at Little Caesars Arena made their frustration and anything but festive feelings known, with boos after each period and end of the game.
“They’re frustrated and we’re frustrated, and rightfully so frustrated,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “When you play at home on a big night like tonight with the holidays coming up, a great crowd, and we didn’t give them any reason to cheer and have a good night. We feel it. They were frustrated as well.
“It’s just a disappointing effort and game for playing at home ice before the holiday.”
BOX SCORE: Blues 4, Red Wings 0
Closer to the Eastern Conference basement than a playoff spot, the Wings have yet to gain any sort of traction and move upward in the standings. They’re eight points from a wild-card playoff spot, but only two points ahead of Buffalo for last place in the conference.
Coach Derek Lalonde acknowledged concern for the trajectory of how this season is headed.
“Of course, that’s common sense and it’s a really fair (question),” Lalonde said. “It’s not a good spot to be in. But it’s just about finding our game. We’ve had moments that we’ve found our game. You kind of live in the moment and our moment is break, recharge and try to get our game back.”
Lalonde mentioned several times the time away from the rink might be a good thing right now for the Wings.
“A little out of rhythm,” said Lalonde of his team. “The break is coming at a real good time. Our last two and half games, we’re definitely searching. A little fragile, maybe. It’s frustrating the way this homestand started (with two victories), so the break is coming at a real good time.”
The Wings, without defensemen Simon Edvinsson and Ben Chiarot — both out with upper-body injuries — were outshot 21-19 by the Blues (10-3 after one period and 17-9 after two periods) and rarely made a significant push at the Blues.
The Wings were pointing to this five-game stretch before the break, with four of the games at home, to begin the push. But it didn’t materialize.
The power play has struggled, the injuries on defense have severely tested the Wings’ depth in that area, and the goaltending as Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon returned from injuries hasn’t been as sharp as it was earlier in the season.
Larkin used the word “disconnected” to describe the Wings’ play, especially in Monday’s loss. Larkin also talked about how not enough Wings’ are playing well enough.
“We got to show up to play and we don’t have enough guys doing that right now, myself included,” Larkin said. “We have to be ready to compete and we’re not doing that. We’re very disconnected from the forwards to the defense on the ice, wingers from centermen, just all over. It’s a lot of skating and a lot of hard work, but we’re not getting anything accomplished.
“I never really think our work ethic is poor. We have a bunch of guys who work hard. But we’re working hard and not accomplishing anything.”
The Wings were outshot 10-3 in the first period but only trailed 1-0 thanks to some good work from Talbot, making his second start since returning from injury.
Dylan Holloway scored three goals to pace the Blues and goaltender Jordan Binnington earned the shutout with 19 saves. Holloway got his first save of the night on a one-timer in high slot at 16 minutes, 44 seconds.
Looking to build something positive in the second period, instead the gap got wider. Alexandre Texier whistled a blistering shot off the rush just 18 seconds into the second period, giving the Blues a 2-0 lead. The Wings got their first power-play opportunity at 2:32 of the second period, but saw it nullified 55 seconds into it when Larkin was whistled for goalie interference.
After both teams came up empty on the power play, the Blues made it 3-0 on Holloway’s second goal. Brayden Schenn found Holloway alone between the hashmarks and Holloway snapped a shot past Talbot. Holloway completed the hat trick with an empty-net goal, his 13th goal, at 15:54 of the third period.
“It was just not enough execution, not enough jam, turned the puck over way too much to give ourselves a chance to play offense and get to the net and create,” forward J.T. Compher said. “We fed their transition all night.”
Speculation on Lalonde’s job security has increased since a winless West Coast road trip in mid-November. The heat dimmed after a pair of two-game win streaks but the losses recently — along with the way the Wings have lost — will likely make it a question again.
The boos were loud at the end of the game, aimed at the coaching staff and players.
“It’s the frustration, because this group has shown it at times,” said Lalonde of the Wings’ ability to be competitive. “We’re not a perfect team by any means but we’ve shown to play at a pretty good level. It wasn’t enough tonight.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
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