Another performance like Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Bruins will raise the situation to DefCon 2, if it’s not there already.

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The Wings are third in the Atlantic Division (don’t bother debating the geography; it’s the NHL) after their loss. They hold a tiebreaker edge over the Bruins for that position; both teams have 93 points. And except for two games against the Hurricanes in the season’s final week, they have difficult games to end the season.

Goalie Petr Mrazek was as disappointed as any of his teammates with the loss. With the Wings up 2-0, he allowed three goals in the third period.

“You know I would like to get the last one back but zero points, that’s the way we didn’t want it today,” Mrazek told reporters.

MLive.com asked Mrazek to explain “the last one” — a soft goal, a weirdo that snuck into the net. 

“It just went off my pants and went in,” Mrazek said. “I thought I had it but it just went through.”

The Wings’ final five games:

Saturday: at Wild

Sunday: vs. Capitals

Tuesday: vs. Hurricanes

Thursday: at Canadiens

April 11: at Hurricanes

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The Wings are in danger of falling to secure a wild-card slot. The Bruins are in that position now. And the Senators are three points behind.

Winning both games against the Hurricanes is mandatory. Victory over the Wild is vital. Beating the Caps and Habs? Don’t pocket those points until the games are over.

Part of the Wings’ problem? Goaltending. Mrazek is 1-2-1 while starting the past four games, shoving aside Jimmy Howard, who is on track to return Saturday. Mrazek is slated to start Sunday.

The Wings also must find a cure for their power play, which was 0-for-7 before Stephen Weiss scored less than three minutes into the third period. It was the Wings’ second man-advantage goal in 15 tries over five games.

Babcock isn’t panicking.

“We had lots of opportunity. We had probably as good pace as we’ve had in a long time,” he said, via the Detroit Free Press. “Did a lot of good things and in the end (Bruins goalie Tuukka) Rask kept us from winning the game. I didn’t think we backed up or got on our heels at all.

“For me, it’s the best we’ve played in a while.”

Babcock also deflected criticism from Mrazek, who allowed those three goals on six shots in under 15 minutes.

“As a goaltender you want to stop ’em all, right?” Babcock said. “Like I said, it was a broken stick and it was a wrister like you’d like it stopped. I remember the kid made some saves as well. So it all goes part and parcel.”

Positive words of reinforcement for a team — and a player — in need of support.