DETROIT — The Bruins had their first snapshot Saturday night of what the Red Wings will look like without Henrik Zetterberg, and the final glimpse was an Evgeny Svechnikov shot 1:42 into overtime that handed the Black-and-Gold a 4-3 loss here at Little Caesars Arena.
The loss, Boston’s first of the preseason (4-0-1) came after the Bruins rallied back from a 3-1 deficit on goals by Daniel Winnik and Axel Andersson that came 10:13 apart in the final period.
Anderssson, the club’s top pick (No. 57) in this past June’s draft, connected for the equalizer with only 5:13 remaining in regulation. It was his first in a Boston uniform.
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“I enjoyed it,” said the babyfaced Andersson, “but I didn’t enjoy it as much as if he won. So I am a little bit disappointed.”
The Bruins, who will open the regular season a week from Wednesday in Washington, D.C., continue their preseason slate Monday night in Philadelphia. Winnik, attempting to make the club as an invitee, will be back in the lineup, his goal here helping to keep alive his hope to make the varsity.
Winnik scored on a blazing one-time slapper from the slot at 4:34 of the third. He also lost the puck on Detroit’s winning strike, falling along the rear boards when Luke Glendening, who made the feed for the winner, upended Winnik by putting his stick in his skates.
“I stepped on his stick, it’s a trip,” said Winnik the former UNH star winger. “The play should have been blown dead (before the trip), but there’s nothing you can do.”
Steve Kampfer, acquired from the Rangers in the swap for Adam McQuaid on the eve of training camp, assisted on two of Boston’s goals and now has four helpers for the pre-season.
“We like our seven [defensemen], we’re don’t plan to veer from that,” said coach Bruce Cassidy, asked if Kampfer might make the varsity squad. “He played well. He’s managed the puck well. He is playing to his strength, which is offensive-zone blue line, power play work, contribute on offense, get his shot through. He has to be able to play 5-on-5 the rest of the game, and he’s done that. So far, so good.
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The Red Wings broke on the board first when Filip Zadina, their prized pick in this June’s draft, ripped home a sizzling one-timer from the dot in the right wing faceoff circle. Zadina, an 18-year-old Czech chosen sixth overall in the draft, showed a big league shot when he put the hammer down on Niklas Kronwall’s diagonal cross-slot feed at 2:32.
Cameron Hughes pulled the Bruins even, 1-1, less than five minutes later (7:00), scooting off the right wing and into the slot for a tip of Kampfer’s shot from the blue line. Hughes provided the deflection, allowing Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard, the ex-UMaine Black Bear, little chance of making a stop.
Zane McIntyre, the Bruins stopper, also had little chance of turning back the Dennis Cholowski shot that provided Detroit with the 2-1 lead with 2:57 left in the first. Cholowski, feeling pressure at the blue line, snapped off a 60-footer, intending simply to keep the puck in the zone. However, his shot deflected off Zdeno Chara in the left wing circle, took an unexpected deflection, and banged in the net off the base of the right post.
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The two sides were scoreless in the second, sending the Wings into the final period of regulation still on top, 2-1.
The Wings moved to their biggest lead of the night, 3-1, at 0:39 of the third when Vili Saarijarvi snapped home a 25-foot wrister from the slot, walking into a puck that came skittering up the middle after Michael Rasmussen’s initial attempt from the left side was blocked.
Winnik, pulled the Bruins back to within one at 4:34 of the third, drilling that one-time slapper to the top right corner. Kampfer picked up his fourth of the pre-season.
The Bruins finally pulled back even, 3-3, with 5:13 to go in regulation. Andersson fired home the equalizer from the top of the left wing circle, set up on the power play with Chara’s soft-serve feed from the opposite point.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeKPD.