COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Red Wings didn't start this four-game road trip the way they wanted to at all.
They gave up two late goals, including Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe/Michigan) scoring at 18 minutes 41 seconds, of the third period, giving the Blue Jackets a 5-3 victory over the Red Wings.
Lucas Raymond gave the Wings a 3-2 lead at 13:31, the rookie's seventh goal.
But Columbus roared back, with rookie Yegor Chinakhov tying the score with his first NHL goal at 15:42, on a breakaway, then Werenski breaking the tie with a long shot from the point past goaltender Thomas Greiss.
Columbus forward Alexandre Texier scored an empty-net goal to end the scoring.
Tyler Bertuzzi found Raymond alone near the left hashmarks, and Raymond snapped a one-timer past goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, giving the Wings a 3-2 lead.
But Columbus, as resilient as usual, stormed right back. Rookie Yegor Chinakhov scored his first NHL goal, getting an outlet pass from Jakub Voracek and scoring a breakaway goal on Greiss at 15:42.
The Wings appeared to be in control after goals from Dylan Larkin and Michael Rasmussen gave them a 2-0 lead early in the second period.
Rasmussen's goal, at the time, seemed a potential game-changer for the Wings.
Vladislav Namestnikov rushed the puck up ice and left a pass for Rasmussen, who lifted a shot from near the top of the circle that handcuffed Merzlikins and somehow got through into the net for Rasmussen's first goal this season.
Larkin opened the scoring with his seventh goal on a another great feed from Raymond.
Raymond (who earned his 10th assist) got his stick on a puck and forced a Columbus turnover, gathered the puck, and somehow found Larkin open with a pass through the slot. Larkin had a yawning net to shoot past Merzlikins.
Meanwhile, as the game progressed, Greiss was frustrating the Jackets and the Wings were gradually taking control of the game.
Greiss was superb in the second period, keeping Columbus off the scoreboard on two consecutive Jackets power plays, preserving the 2-0 lead.
But Columbus finally broke through with two quick goals from Boone Jenner and Adam Boqvist late in the period.
Jenner scored his seventh, batting a loose puck in the crease off a scramble in front of Greiss, at 13:07.
There was a sense of relief in the building, and on the ice, as Columbus had finally broken through against Greiss.
Sure enough, with a bit of confidence fueling it, Columbus tied it on Boqvist's first goal of the season.
Greiss kicked out a long shot by Chinakhov but left the rebound near the post and Boqvist, skating through, tapped the puck past Greiss at 14:55.
The Jackets have gone through a transformation of their roster, if not a total rebuild, but have been a surprise team in their own right early this season.
"Every year is a new year and obviously there have been pieces, different pieces (in Columbus), but they have a lot of good players," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said after Monday's morning skate "Certainly Zach Werenski (Grosse Pointe/Michigan) is somebody I've had a lot of respect for a long, long time.
"But they moved other defensemen in who are good players for sure like Boqvist and (Jake) Bean and they've got two real good goalies and that is a great place to start. They're playing real good hockey, they're well-coached and they do a good job of putting you on your heels at times and when they have the puck in the offensive zone or transition, they're a real good team."
This weeklong four-game trip, just a week following a similar trip, is another chance for the Wings to begin earning confidence and points on the road, where they haven't been as good as at Little Caesars Arena.
"You have to be able to win at both at home and on the road," Blashill said last week. "We have some tough opponents and a tough trip, so we have to go out and start with a real good showing."
Said Larkin, talking about this trip: "Every night is tough in this league, and you have to show up. We've played a lot of hockey this last three weeks here. We need to grind it out. We need to get on the road and get in a little rhythm, and we can do it."
