Bitter Night in Detroit: Red Wings Blow Three-Goal Lead in OT Loss to Sabres
DETROIT — You know, when you fall asleep in front of the TV, with your hockey team leading by 2 goals entering the 3rd period, you expect to wake up to a winning box score. Well, that didn’t happen. What should have been a celebratory night of clean offense and historic milestones at Little Caesars Arena instead turned into a gut-punch reminder of how quickly momentum can vanish in the NHL. The Detroit Red Wings surrendered a 4–1 lead and ultimately fell 5–4 in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres — a loss that stung far more than the single point they earned.
For 40 minutes, Detroit looked like the better team. Goals from Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Patrick Kane had the crowd rolling, Lucas Raymond was dealing like a Vegas blackjack dealer, and the Wings were firmly in control. But Buffalo chipped away late in the second, seized momentum, and stormed back with three unanswered in the third before burying the OT winner.
This wasn’t just a loss. It was a loud reminder that you can’t play 40 minutes and expect to win in this league. When a home team leads by two entering the third, the win percentage is overwhelmingly in their favor. Detroit flipped that script in the worst possible way.
📊 STAT CAPSULE — Sabres 5, Red Wings 4 (OT)
Location: Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, MI
Detroit Red Wings
- Goals: Alex DeBrincat (2), Dylan Larkin (1), Patrick Kane (1)
- Assists: Lucas Raymond (3)
- Notable: Moritz Seider sets Red Wings record for most consecutive games played to start a career
Team Notes
- Detroit blew a 4–1 lead
- Buffalo scored 4 straight to complete the comeback
- Red Wings earn 1 point but fall to 10-7-1
Seider Makes History Amid the Collapse
Overshadowed by the blown lead was a milestone worthy of franchise reverence.
Moritz Seider set the Red Wings record for most consecutive games played to start a career, a testament to his durability, physicality, and do-everything anchor role on the blue line. Night after night, year after year, he’s taken on the opponent’s best — and he’s answered every time.
It wasn’t the backdrop he deserved for the achievement, but the accomplishment stands tall. Seider continues to be one of the NHL’s most reliable young defensemen in an era where that consistency is rare.
How It All Slipped Away
For most of the night, it looked like the Wings were in complete control. DeBrincat buried two, Kane finally got back on the board, and Larkin added another. With three goals in under five minutes — all set up by Lucas Raymond — Detroit built what felt like a comfortable 4–1 lead. Little Caesars Arena had every reason to believe the Wings were cruising to two points.
Then everything changed.
Buffalo flipped the momentum with a quick Alex Tuch goal, then chipped away again with a deflection from Josh Doan. Early in the third, Tage Thompson cut the lead to one, and you could feel the pressure shift. The turning point came on a short-handed breakaway that tied the game, taking the wind out of Detroit’s sails.
By overtime, the Sabres had all the momentum. Just over a minute in, Mattias Samuelsson finished it off, completing a comeback Detroit never should’ve allowed.
McLellan’s Message: Game Management Still an Issue
Todd McLellan didn’t yell, didn’t rant, didn’t sugarcoat.
He simply told the truth.
“Until this group figures out what’s important at certain times of the game, we’re going to have those nights.”
It’s the kind of line that says everything with almost nothing. Detroit has the talent. Detroit has the speed. Detroit has the depth. But they still lack the situational discipline — the “big picture hockey” — needed to close out games against teams that refuse to fold.
Every blown lead is a lesson.
But at some point, the lessons have to turn into habits.
Prospects Shine: A Glimpse at What’s Coming
While the NHL roster works through its growing pains, the pipeline delivered another weekend of optimism.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård — Grand Rapids Griffins
Detroit’s 2024 first-round pick is thriving since being assigned to the AHL. He’s already tallied a goal and an assist in five games while driving play for a Griffins squad off to its best start in franchise history with an eight-game winning streak.
His physicality and north-south motor are translating exactly how the front office hoped.
Trey Augustine — Michigan State Spartans
If the Wings are looking for future stability in net, Augustine is circling the runway.
He posted 28 saves in a 3–1 win over Notre Dame, helping MSU maintain its No. 1 national ranking.
Over his last five games?
A preposterous 0.60 goals-against average.
Detroit’s long-term crease outlook has rarely looked better.
Looking Ahead: Boston Awaits
There’s no time to stew over the collapse. The Red Wings head straight to New York for a tough matchup with the Rangers tonight, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. It’s never an easy place to play, and the Rangers’ speed and depth will demand a full, locked-in response from Detroit.
A win won’t erase what happened against Buffalo — but it would say a lot about this team’s ability to bounce back, reset, and show some maturity after a game they let slip away.
I’m curious to know what your thoughts were about the collapase at the LCA. Let us know by dropping a comment below, or— Join the conversation in the Red Wings Wheelhouse — where fans break down every game, every angle.
Info gathered from team reports, pressers & trusted media outlets — the way we always do it at Mitten Sports Talk.
