DETROIT >> The reality of it hit for most Red Wings fans when they gazed at the standings Tuesday morning.

Gazed maybe bleary-eyed after watching another West Coast loss Monday in San Jose, 5-4 in overtime. But rubbing your eyes didn’t help or change the look of it.

The Wings were tied with Columbus and Montreal at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 16 points entering Tuesday’s games. In terms of percentage points, the Wings were tied with Columbus (.444) and just above Montreal (.421) for last place in the conference.

If not for Alex DeBrincat’s late goal in regulation Monday, securing a point, the Wings would be at the bottom of the conference.

In the cramped and scrunched standings, the Wings need to vault six teams to be in a wild-card playoff spot. Obviously doable this early in the season, but a lot of work has to be done and things need to change.

The Wings’ four-game road trip didn’t go as they’d hoped. After an overtime win in Pittsburgh, the Wings flamed out in California losing to struggling Anaheim and San Jose and soundly losing in Los Angeles.

As could be expected — and possibly rightfully so — the social media world as it pertains to the Wings was on full blast calling for coach Derek Lalonde’s job after this disappointing trip.

If not for a power play that has climbed to ranking third in the NHL (converting 32% of its opportunities), this Wings’ roster could be in even deeper trouble.

One area that continues to trouble the Wings deeply, and was a point of emphasis by general manager Steve Yzerman after last season, is team defense. The Wings needed and wanted to be a better defensive team this season, but that still hasn’t taken shape.

The Wings ranked 22nd in goals-against Tuesday (3.33 goals-allowed per game), and allowing 15 goals in the three California games — 11 to Anaheim and San Jose, which isn’t good — was particularly telling.

If Lalonde’s seat wasn’t warm heading into the California trip, it probably will be now as the Wings embark on a stretch where they play five of the next six games at Little Caesars Arena. If the Wings can’t build momentum after this stretch, who knows if this season is salvageable?

Here are items that materialized from the West Coast trip (both good and poor):

Defensive issues

They popped up again in a bad way in the three losses. Goals against on the rush, coverage mistakes, breakaways. All of those things surfaced at one juncture or another, and it led to the defeats. The Wings appeared to be correcting some of those issues for a brief period, but this trip showed the problems still exist. And for Lalonde, that might be the most troubling thing of all.

Power play great, evenstrength not so much

It’s been so long since Wings’ fans have been able to bask in a power play clicking as well as this one has been. The Wings scored another two on the power play Monday (they had three Friday against Anaheim), with Marco Kasper and DeBrincat scoring important goals. The unit is playing with as much confidence and skill as it has in many seasons.

But overall, the Wings are having difficulty scoring at even-strength, ranking 26th with 2.56 goals per game. Dylan Larkin is having a career-best type of season (11 goals). DeBrincat has eight goals (though a teamworst minus-10 takes a bit of shine off). Lucas Raymond has 15 assists (though only two goals).

Too many Wings are still looking to get going: Patrick Kane and J.T. Compher with three goals each; Raymond, Vladimir Tarasenko and Jonatan Berggren with two goals each. These are players the Wings had expectations could make up for the offense that was lost last summer in free agency, but it simply hasn’t happened yet.

Goaltending

This department hasn’t been an issue at all this season, far from it. It’s been one of the strengths. But Cam Talbot wasn’t sharp in the loss to San Jose, and Alex Lyon, in Lyon’s return to the lineup, couldn’t make key saves Friday in Anaheim.

Needless to say, with all the other things that are plaguing the Wings, if the goaltending begins to slip, that would really hurt.

Hopeful signs

Rookie Marco Kasper scored two goals on the trip and is being entrusted with a bigger role and looks to be up to the challenge. Berggren finally scored those two goals this season, and might be ready to contribute more. Michael Rasmussen scored a fluky goal Monday that might get him going. Tarasenko has had an assist in four consecutive games, though the goals haven’t been there.

There were signs of promise if you looked deep enough. But not enough right now amid a discouraging run of defeats.