UNIONDALE, N.Y. - The Detroit Red Wings scored a lot of goals this week, with little to show for it.

For the third time in four games Sunday, the Red Wings generated enough offense and felt they played well enough to win, but they couldn't keep the puck out of their net.

Petr Mrazek, who's been terrific in many games this season, also has had his share of rough nights. This was one of them, as he was pulled early in the second period in a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

"I thought our team played hard from start to finish. The puck went in our net way too easy," coach Mike Babcock said. "We've talked about this lately. That part was disappointing, but I liked our preparation, I liked our effort."

Mrazek allowed four goals on 11 shots. He took a seat after Frans Nielsen snapped a 3-3 tie 16 seconds into the second period on a sharp-angle shot that found a hole between Mrazek and the goal post.

"Short side, I have to be there," Mrazek said. "I thought I had it, but I don't know if it hit a piece of my stick or something and went in. I should have that one."

Jimmy Howard, who had struggled in his previous two starts, came in and stopped 15-of-16 shots. He allowed a shorthanded breakaway goal to Cal Clutterbuck at 3:57 of the second period - after Tomas Tatar fell down at the point and lost the puck. That proved to be the game-winner.

Mrazek a day earlier shut out the highest-scoring team in the NHL in a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"Yesterday was yesterday and today I let in four goals," Mrazek said. "When the

game is over you have to think about new game and that's what I did yesterday and what I will do now after today.

"Sometimes it goes a good way, sometimes it goes a bad way. Just stay positive and be ready for next game."

Mrazek has been pulled four times in his past 12 starts.

"He shut out one of the best offensive teams in the league the other night and tonight the puck went in on him," Babcock said. "We'll get on the flight, have an off day tomorrow and the next day I'll have a plan."

The Red Wings have scored 16 goals in their past four games but have only three points to show for it because they've allowed 15 (not including an empty-netter).

"We're fighting through it, but the blame game never helped anyone ever and so we're better off if we just keep on grinding and don't worry about that," Babcock said. "We got to stay the course. We know we got good structure. We know we got a good team.

"I thought our team was prepared, I thought we worked," Babcock said. "We got off to a good start, the puck just went in our net over and over again, so we got to get that solved."

The Red Wings are 4-8-1 in their past 13.

"The good thing is we score a lot of goals but we are letting in too many," Zetterberg said. "We've just got to find a better balance."

The Red Wings jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Tatar (39 seconds) and Drew Miller (1:46).

But the Islanders responded swiftly, with three goals in a span of 5:01 by Brock Nelson (power play), Ryan Strome (even strength) and Kyle Okposo (power play).

Niklas Kronwall tied it at 9:54 by whipping a shot from the slot past Jaroslav Halak.

Pavel Datsyuk's power-play goal at 10:20 of the second period cut the Islanders' lead to 5-4, but the Red Wings generated few scoring chances the second half of the game.

"Obviously when Tuna (Tatar) falls on the power play that's a tough goal to give up," Zetterberg said. "Other than that I think we played a solid second period. Then in the third it was back and forth, but obviously it's not enough."

The Islanders snapped a seven-game home winless streak (0-6-1). They are 9-2-2 in their past 13 games against the Red Wings dating back to the 2005-06 season.

"We know they had lost so many games in a row at home and they were going to come hard," Mrazek said. "They needed points, we needed points. It's very disappointing today's game."

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