Red Wings collapse, allow 2 goals in 18 seconds in loss to Blues - Detroit Free Press

Halloween Turns to Tricks as Detroit Blows Late Two-Goal Lead

The Detroit Red Wings discovered that a comfortable multi-goal cushion can vanish in a blink during a sloppy afternoon at Little Caesars Arena. Leading 4-2 early in the third period on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the Wings watched a seemingly secure advantage evaporate into a 5-4 loss against the St. Louis Blues. According to game-day reporting from the Detroit Free Press, a sudden defensive breakdown and an uninspired stretch in the crease turned what should have been a festive Halloween matinee into a home-ice embarrassment.

What started as a promising afternoon of offensive production quickly unraveled. The collapse hinged on a five-minute stretch in the final frame where lackadaisical coverage and a subpar performance from goaltender John Gibson left the home crowd booing their own team. The defensive lapse culminated in a devastating sequence where the Blues punched home two goals just 18 seconds apart, completely swinging the momentum and sealing Detroit’s fate.

Early Goals Fade Fast

For the first forty minutes, the matchup played out like a celebration of depth scoring. The trouble for St. Louis began early when Blues goaltender Joel Hofer misplayed the puck behind his own net, allowing Michael Rasmussen to pounce and set up J.T. Compher for his first goal of the season at 8:13 of the first period. Just 41 seconds later, Keegan Kolesar capitalized on a breakaway sprung by Carter Mazur to log his first as a Red Wing, putting the hosts ahead.

St. Louis managed to stay within striking distance through Dalibor Dvorský, who scored 2:29 into the contest on a backhand feed from Justin Barron, and a late second-period tip-in by Jimmy Snuggerud. Yet Detroit restored its two-goal cushion when Lucas Raymond notched his fifth of the year at 13:14 of the second, followed quickly by Emmitt Finnie’s power-play marker at 3:29 of the third.

At 4-2, the Red Wings appeared firmly in command. Then the third-period unraveling began.

The Eighteen-Second Collapse

Pavel Buchnevich dragged the Blues back within striking distance midway through the third period with a clean wrist shot from the slot. Moments later, Justin Barron exploited soft defensive coverage in the neutral zone to knot the game at 4-4. Before Detroit could catch its breath, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki struck just 18 seconds after Barron’s equalizer, completing the stunning 5-4 turnaround for St. Louis.

Head coach and bench personnel watched helplessly as the defensive structure dissolved. Gibson was eventually pulled with three minutes remaining in regulation to deploy an extra attacker, and the coaching staff burned their timeout a minute later, but the damage was irreversible.

Looking Ahead to Florida

The home crowd made their displeasure known as the final seconds ticked away on the Red Wings’ brief two-game homestand. Detroit has no time to dwell on the defensive miscues, as the schedule forces an immediate turnaround with a demanding road trip against Atlantic Division rivals.

The team heads south for a pair of games in two days on either side of Florida. The journey starts on the east side with a Monday, November 2 matchup against the Florida Panthers at 7 p.m. broadcast on the Detroit Sports Network, followed immediately by a Tuesday clash against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wings will eventually return home on Thursday to host the Vegas Golden Knights.