The Detroit Red Wings have dealt with a lot of drama this season. But on Thursday night, they turned in a complete effort for the first half of their game against the Florida Panthers. That was, of course, until that effort came undone.

The Red Wings lost 5-4 against the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. This marked Detroit's fifth straight loss. And it may be their worst of the season. Detroit had a lead of 4-1 at one point in this game. In the end, the team seemed to just sit and watch as Florida mounted their comeback.

“When we were up 4-1, they continued to ramp up the pressure,” Red Wings forward JT Compher said, via NHL.com. “I feel like we kind of sat into it a little bit. We kind of accepted it. We need to play with a little more confidence with the puck. When we break out, we need to play offense.”

The Red Wings have fallen to 7-10-3 on the 2026-27 campaign. Detroit has fallen to last in the Atlantic Division with 17 points. Only three teams have fewer points in the Eastern Conference than the Red Wings at this point in time.

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Detroit hoped they could withstand the off-ice drama and push forward on the ice. Simon Edvinsson is in Sweden awaiting a trade. Meanwhile, Dylan Larkin is at home, also looking to be traded. The Red Wings have been resolute, but perhaps the distraction is starting to creep in on the ice.

The Red Wings need to figure something out sooner rather than later. Detroit will conclude its four-game road trip on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.