DETROIT – Teams can win occasionally without their A game. The problem for the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday was they didn’t even have their B or C game.

Their 5-0 loss to the New York Islanders looked like their F game. Coach Todd McLellan said it looked as if his team was skating in mud.

“That was disappointing, obviously. Very disappointing,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We had a lot of momentum coming into the game and we were out-executed. The puck was foreign to us. Anything that we did get away clean, we seemed to bobble it or double-clutch it. Scoring opportunities that we did have, we did nothing with, and we gave up two goals on faceoff coverages. That epitomizes the night really.”

The Islanders, who’ve defeated the Red Wigs twice by a combined score of 12-2, got three goals from their fourth line, which set the tone in the first period. Callum Ritchie capitalized on a defensive breakdown to score on a semi-breakaway at 6:46 and Max Shabanov scored the first of two goals directly off faceoffs.

The mistakes continued in the second period when a turnover by Marco Kasper led to Mathew Barzal’s goal and Bo Horvat blasted in a one-timer off another botched faceoff coverage.

“It’s the small details,” McLellan said. “We have coverages for faceoffs that should just be like that automatic. And when the gun went off for those coverages, we were late and they scored two goals. There’s two goals right there that if you don’t have your A game, you’re not skating as well, you can prevent them right away just from knowing what you need to do.”

John Gibson allowed five goals on 27 shots to fall to 4-6-1, with a 3.46 goals-against average and .870 save percentage.

Dylan Larkin said the team left Gibson out to dry.

“We were slow. We didn’t have it,” Larkin said. “I thought the game was hard. They were winning races, we weren’t, and they were above us and we just didn’t grind through that. And then we gave up goals where there was lack of execution and things we talked about before the game. Faceoff details and they scored two off faceoff (goals) and we were giving them back-doors and really good looks.”

McLellan pinned this performance on the entire team, including the coaching staff.

“Tonight is a night where I’m going to envelope everybody into it,” he said. “I know the numbers don’t look good (for Gibson), but it’s a (partial) breakaway right off the bat. Faceoff goal; can’t see it. Second faceoff goal. One-timer from the dot as he’s coming across and he’s got to find the puck. Kasper’s turnover, shot through people, deflects off, scores. I could say, ‘Boy, it would be nice to have one of those,’ but those are team goals, too.”

J.T. Compher said they didn’t give themselves a chance to compete for two points.

“Something that good teams even struggle with is being consistent,” Compher said. “It’s a hard league, but the lower level has to be higher than that.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.