Red Wings show fight, but fall to Ducks in shootout, 4-3

This was a good bounce back game for the Red Wings, but it ended up one point short of what they would have preferred.

Detroit took the host Anaheim Ducks to a shootout Sunday, before the home team earned the 4-3 victory.

The Ducks won the shootout 2-0, with Trevor Zegras and Rickard Rakell scoring against goaltender Thomas Greiss.

The Wings (16-16-4) have lost eight of their last 11 games (3-7-1).

After an ugly loss in Los Angeles the night before, the Wings felt better about their game some 24 hours later.

"We talked about it after the game (Saturday), about being ready to play and just knowing what it takes to go into a building and win on the road," defenseman Marc Staal said. "Sometimes it's not pretty and it's not always going to go your way but it's just a mentality of stick with it and playing your game and playing with confidence."

BOX SCORE: Ducks 4, Red Wings 3 (SO)

Losing in a shootout, after a gutsy effort to salvage at least a point in the standings, annoyed Staal.

"You work hard all game and two teams going at it, but it never feels good," Staal said. "It's a thing where if you win, it's great. If you lose, it stinks, just the way it is."

Vladislav Namestnikov helped the Wings get into overtime, tying the game at 3 with his 10th goal.

Jordan Oesterle lifted an innocent shot from the point that appeared to deflect off two Ducks before glancing off Namestnikov's left leg and past Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal, who was making his NHL debut.

"Our guys have a lot of character," coach Jeff Blashill said. "I've said that lots. Certainly the first period last night was embarrassing (the Wings were outshot 27-2 by Los Angeles). Our guys knew it. We hung in there (Sunday), we got down early and get down 3-2 early in the third (period) and we found a way to come back and get that point. It was a good effort."

The Wings suffered a pair ofinjuries Sunday that could sting.

Detroit was without forward Dylan Larkin for the final two periods because of an upper-body injury, possibly a hand that Larkin was favoring at one point in the first period. Larkin played 8:08 before exiting.

Blashill said he had no update on Larkin but could know more Monday.

The Wings also lost Tyler Bertuzzi in overtime. He appeared to have suffered a wrist injury. The skate blade of Zegras came close to Bertuzzi's wrist, who, after a collision between the two players, quickly skated off the ice.

"Tyler got cut late in the game there, but he'll be OK though," Blashill said.

Max Comtois had broken a 2-all tie at 2:01 for the Ducks.

Filip Zadina was stripped of the puck, leading to a Ducks rush going the other way.

Rakell found Comtois driving alone to the post and Comtois tapped the puck past Greiss for Comtois' first goal this season.

 Filip Hronek (power play) and Bertuzzi added Wings goals.

Hronek tied the game 1-1 just 21 seconds into the second period. With the Wings enjoying a two-man advantage, Hronek blasted a shot from the high slot that somehow fooled Dostal.

Bertuzzi gave the Wings a 2-1 lead at 15:07. Staal attempted a wraparound but lost control of the puck, which slid through the slot to an open Bertuzzi, who had an open net to notch his 16th goal and sixth in the last six games.

"They (the Ducks) had a good start there and were skating pretty well," Staal said. "They got some momentum but we regrouped real well after the first period and started to get our game a little bit. I was happy with our effort from there on out."

Troy Terry pulled Anaheim back into a 2-all tie with his 22nd goal, beating Greiss from the hashmark.

This game was highlighted by the presence of three of the best rookies in the NHL this season.

All three made impacts.

Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond each had an assist, while the Ducks' Zegras had a power play goal and an assist.

Raymond's assist was his 20th, in his 36th game this season, making him the fastest in franchise history to reach that milestone.

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan