Running out of (extra) time

If they were in the UFC instead of the NHL, right about now, the Detroit Red Wings could tap out. Instead, they already look to be tapped out. Wednesday’s script was familiar - carry a 1-0 lead into the third period, squander it, and then lose in overtime. But this time Detroit doubled down, squandering a pair of third-period leads before falling 3-2 to the Boston Bruins. For the most part, the Wings are playing good hockey, but clearly, it’s still not good enough. “You won’t get anywhere with moral victories,… Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg told Mlive.com. “You have to find a way to win. “We’re finding ways to lose.… They are also losing ground rapidly in the standings. Boston, owners of the third and final Atlantic Division playoff spot, are now five points ahead of the Wings and hold three games in hand. They also lost 2-1 to Florida on Monday and face another divisional opponent in the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday. “We’ve played way too many games this season where we played good and came up short,… left-winger Tomas Tatar said. “Maybe that’s showing us something. We have to be better somewhere.… Zetterberg was blunt in his assessment of their situation. “The last two were obviously huge games for the standings, but right now we’re just focused on winning a game,… he said. Running Out Of Extra Time Detroit dropped to 0-6 in overtime this season. “When we go into overtime, we believe we can win that game and get that second point, but it keeps getting harder when we don’t get it,… Zetterberg acknowledged. “That area is killing us for sure,… Tatar added. “That’s many points we lost. We’ve got to do better there.… Tatar wondered if the Wings were structural behind some of the other teams in their approach to overtime. “You can’t shoot every chance,… Tatar said. “You have to hold it, maybe wait for a better one. There are ways of playing. “I think more and more teams are trying to figure it out, because when this rule came to the league, it was more free for all, but now you can see some teams are doing it on purpose and doing some things that looked structured.… Home And Cooled Off Friday’s meeting with the Leafs will conclude a five-game homestand for Detroit. They are currently 1-1-2 on this homestand, and a mediocre 5-6-6 at Little Caesars Arena this season. “We know it’s going to be tough to chase these points back,… Tatar said. “But you know, we are here and we can’t give up. We just have to find a way to get these points back.… Get Shorty If you were desperate for a silver lining to another black could of a night, Dylan’s Larkin’s goal to give Detroit a 2-1 lead came while the Wings were killing off a penalty. That was Detroit’s fifth shorthanded goal of the season, moving the Wings into a tie for second in the NHL in that department. Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer