The slow-to-warm Bruins preseason remained on a very low flame Wednesday night with the Red Wings slapping a 5-1 loss on the Black and Gold at the Garden.
The loss dropped the Bruins to 0-1-1 in the exhibition season. They’ll be in Detroit Friday to face the Red Wings in an encore performance, still in pursuit of their first victory.
The Red Wings potted a pair of quick goals, only 21 seconds apart, to take a 2-0 lead late in the first period.
Shortly after Spooner got himself pitched into penalty box for a faceoff violation, Kyle Criscuolo tipped the 1-0 lead by Malcolm Subban at 18:47. Not what Spooner was looking for when he said he is looking to get better at the dot this season, cheating if he must. The cheating led to a penalty, and to the 1-0 deficit.
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Pain-in-the-neck Steve Ott made it 2-0 at 19:08 when he zipped in front, with only Matt Grzelcyk there to defend, and knocked home a Drew Miller centering pass from behind the net. Beleskey didn’t offer Ott enough resistance, and the Bruins were guilty of putting too many bodies behind the net.
The Winged Wheels popped in another pair in the second to run their lead to 4-0 before the Bruins finally responded with an Austin Czarnik strike at 13:20, assisted by Ryan Spooner and Grzelcyk.
Luke Glendenning and Anthony Mantha had the third and fourth goals, respectively.
Subban allowed the four goals on 34 Detroit shots and was relieved, as planned, by Dan Vladar for the start of the third period.
Miller scored the final Detroit goal with 9:09 gone in the third.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.