Washington, D.C. — For all the doom and gloom from fans regarding Friday’s trade deadline, the game against Washington didn’t improve Red Wings’ fans’ mood.

Washington exploded for four goals early in the third period leading to a 5-2 victory over the Red Wings. The defeated extended the Wings’ losing streak to five games.

Aliaksei Protas (shorthanded) and Jakob Chychrun scored 1 minute, 6 seconds apart early in the third period, erasing a 2-1 Wings lead, then Protas scored again at 5:17, his 25th goal, giving the Capitals a 4-2 advantage. Tom Wilson capped the explosion with his 29th goal, at 9:19, on a shorthanded breakaway.

Allowing Washington two shorthanded goals, mental mistakes, an ineffective power play, and suddenly a Wings’ lead became a distant memory.

“The start of that (first) power play,” said forward Patrick Kane, as to what began the implosion. “We were just not executing with the puck and they come down and take a shot and score and all of a sudden it’s 2-2 and it takes the wind out of your sails a little bit.”

Dylan Larkin (26th goal) and Moritz Seider (power play, 6th goal) gave the Wings a 2-0 lead early in the first period. But the energy the Wings brought at the game’s start couldn’t be sustained.

BOX SCORE: Capitals 5, Red Wings 2

The Wings (30-26-6) remained a point away from tying Ottawa for a wild-card spot, but now also have played at least one more game than every team around them in the chase for the playoffs. And the five-game losing streak, along with winning only twice in the last nine games (2-6-1) doesn’t help.

The confidence appears shaken a bit, and the Wings are doggedly searching for anything positive. A victory would dearly help.

“We just got to get a win, get off the schneid, find a way to win and then continue to find ways to win, not find ways to lose,” said Larkin, who opened the Wings’ scoring. “We’re not scoring enough. We’ve got to get to the hard areas. We didn’t shoot (the puck Friday). We had a good start, and then we stopped shooting the puck and that cost us.”

Larkin, the Wings’ captain, blamed himself for the turnover that led to Protas’ shorthanded goal that tied the game.

“I get the puck on my stick, a play I’ve made a hundred times and I just turned it over,” Larkin said. “That’s unacceptable. You tell yourself, ‘Don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over, don’t turn it over’ and what do you do? You turn it over. Just playing a mature game and I started it off for our team and it’s unacceptable by me.”

The Wings’ got a power-play goal from Seider in the first period, giving the Wings a 2-0 lead. But the power play gave the momentum back with the third-period miscues.

“At this time of the year, any loss is tough,” coach Todd McLellan said. “The way we lost it was what stings more than anything. Our power play has been outstanding all year, but the last two games we really gave back a lot of momentum in a game when we needed it.

“Obviously, starting on a clean sheet in the third period, you’re counting on at least establishing some momentum for the period. A bad turnover and it’s in our net and then a few minutes later we get another opportunity and it’s in our net again, so that really sucks the life out of the group. 

“If I was going to target anything when you’re playing three games in four nights, when you get up on the man advantage, you’d better be able to at least play even and dash-2 (minus-2) isn’t going to get it done.”

The Wings play Monday in Ottawa, in what amounts to possibly the most important game of the season to date if the Wings plan on staying in the playoff race.

“We didn’t go to the mall and lose our confidence,” McLellan said. “It doesn’t fall out of your pocket. You tend to gain and then you give it back as a group. So, if we’re talking like that, we have to look at each other or look at ourselves and figure out what we can do better individually and collectively.

“We need to go to Ottawa and we’re going to have to play a real hard game there. They’re a real good hockey club right now playing good hockey. That’s the way it should be at this time of the year. It’s hard at this time of the year. Our guys are learning that. I’m not sure everybody quite understands that. But clearly we have a lot to work on and a lot to learn.”

Goaltender Cam Talbot made 24 saves for the Wings. Talbot and Alex Lyon will be joined by goaltender Petr Mrazek, as the Wings’ go the three-goaltender route the rest of the season after acquiring Mrazek and forward Craig Smith from Chicago for forward Joe Veleno, the only move the Wings’ made before Friday’s trade deadline.

There will be no issues with three goaltenders, said McLellan.

“No (because) we’re looking for one. We’re not looking for three,” McLellan said. “We’re looking for one to step up and grab the net and, as far as I’m concerned, he can run the net for the next 19 (games) if there’s somebody that does it and has the energy to do it. But we’re looking for one. We’re not looking for three. It’s not a problem at all.”

McLellan added forward Carter Mazur’s injury in Thursday’s loss against Utah – Mazur was placed on the injured list – could be long-term.

“He has an injury that’s a little more serious and he’s probably going to be out for some time,” said McLellan, adding it’s uncertain if Mazur will return this season. “Well, let’s hope so. Put it that way.”

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan