Forward Dylan Larkin scored & added the shootout winner while goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 45 shots to give Detroit the extra point in a 3-2 win over the Oilers on Thursday at Rogers Place
EDMONTON, AB – Forwards Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin scored in the shootout, while goaltender Alex Lyon had a strong night with 45 saves on Thursday night to help the Detroit Red Wings pick up the extra point in a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.
The Red Wings erased a two-goal lead for the Oilers in the first period that was built off goals from Leon Draisaitl and Jeff Skinner by scoring twice in a 1:48 span of the middle stanza through Michael Rasmussen and Dylan Larkin, making it 2-2 and ultimately getting the game to overtime after a scoreless but competitive final frame.
Edmonton’s penalty kill went 3-for-3 on Thursday night, including a crucial four-on-three stop in sudden death with Zach Hyman in the penalty box, but Detroit was able to score twice in the shootout against goaltender Stuart Skinner, who despite taking the defeat was resilient with 33 saves on 35 shots.
Defenceman John Klingberg made his Oilers debut and went minus-1 in 16:39 of ice time, while Zach Hyman, Adam Henrique, Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard recorded assists.
The Oilers had their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Red Wings, who won their fourth game in a row.
The Blue & Orange will wrap up their season-long six-game homestand at Rogers Place on Saturday night with a Hockey Night in Canada clash against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Red Wings pick up the extra point in a 3-2 shootout win on Thursday
It was ‘right place, right time’ on two separate occasions for the Oilers during the opening frame after Leon Draisaitl and Jeff Skinner capitalized on their chances as they came to give the Oilers a two-goal lead after 20 minutes at Rogers Place.
A Vladimir Tarasenko tripping penalty on Darnell Nurse just past the six-minute mark sent the Oilers to their first power play, where Draisaitl got lucky having the puck fall to his stick at the right face-off dot when defenceman Ben Chiarot attempted to clear away Evan Bouchard’s cross-slot pass that was broken up.
The German didn’t waste his opportunity by quickly firing the chance inside the far post on netminder Alex Lyon, increasing his NHL goal-scoring lead with his 36th goal of the season. Bouchard registered his 30th assist of the season, while McDavid’s secondary helper was the captain’s team-leading 41st assist of the campaign.
Draisaitl nets his 36th goal of the season on the power play
Jeff Skinner returned to the lineup on Thursday after serving as the extra forward in Monday’s win over the Seattle Kraken, but the 32-year-old has goals in back-to-back games after crashing the crease off the rush and scraping a loose puck over the line to double Edmonton’s lead with 9:31 to go in the period.
Skinner worked a give-and-go at the Detroit blueline with Zach Hyman as Adam Henrique crashed the net, poking at the puck and causing Lyon to fumble it before it popped loose for Skinner to follow in the play and put away a wide-open chance in the Red Wings’ crease to make it 2-0 for the hosts.
All nine of Skinner’s goals this season have come at even strength, which among forwards in the NHL ranks him above names like Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov (8), Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk (7) and New York Rangers duo Chris Kreider (8) and Mika Zibanejad (7).
The Oilers were doubling up the Red Wings 2-0 on the scoreboard and 15-7 in shots at the first intermission.
Skinner finds the loose puck to score his ninth goal of the season
The Wheels started turning just before the 10-minute mark of the middle frame when forward Michael Rasumussen’s deflection gave Detroit some traction.
After the visitors entered the Oilers zone, winger Jonatan Berggren sent a shot on goal from the right side near the top of the circle that was tipped down by Rasmussen to beat Stuart Skinner over the left pad on the Red Wings’ first shot of the second period.
Stuart Skinner would stop Lucas Raymond on one-on-one, but the netminder wouldn’t be able to prevent captain Dylan Larkin from tying the game on another breakaway less than two minutes after Detroit cut into Edmonton’s lead, beating him under the right pad with 8:13 to go in the frame.
Defenceman Ty Emberson whacked at the stick of Larkin in pursuit, potentially altering the path of the puck after Larkin didn’t get all of the shot, with Detroit fighting their way back to tie the game at 2-2 in the second stanza.
Draisaitl and McDavid nearly put the Oilers back ahead before the break when a Detroit turnover in their own zone allowed the Oilers captain to walk the goal line and find his counterpart between the hashmarks for a one-timer, but the German struck the left post with his shot.
It would’ve been a fitting response from the Dynamic Duo, with Draisaitl (43) having the most game-tying or go-ahead points in the NHL this season while McDavid (40) sits second.
Jeff talks to the media after Thursday’s shootout loss
The Oilers needed some strong defensive play, an important penalty kill and some steady goalkeeping from Stuart Skinner in the final 20 minutes to keep them at bay, while their offence was unable to find the goal they needed to keep the contest from going to overtime.
Jeff Skinner prevented a dangerous rush chance for the Red Wings with a great defensive play lifting the stick of forward Marco Kasper after a strong start to the period for the Oilers, who after failing to convert on an early power play would find themselves on the penalty kill near the seven-minute mark when Draisaitl was called for slashing.
Stuart Skinner denied Larkin on a rebound that fell to the front of his crease before he squeezed shut Seider’s ensuing point shot to help the Oilers escape with an important kill, which ended up being vital to getting the Blue & Orange to overtime on Thursday night. The Red Wings had their best stretch around the middle segment with plenty of good looks that Stuart Skinner was able to keep out with nine saves in the third period.
Seider prevented a goal when a shot from Draisaitl in the final few minutes was saved up high by Alex Lyon before it bounced behind the netminder, but the German was there to bat the puck away from danger out of mid-air.
The Red Wings and Oilers would head to overtime, where Edmonton would need another important penalty kill to ultimately get the game to a shootout.
John addresses the media post-game Thursday
Detroit had a handful of good chances before Zach Hyman’s interference penalty 1:40 into sudden death made the Oilers penalty kill to come up with the crucial four-on-three stop to keep the game alive, improving to 3-for-3 on Thursday, but the Oilers couldn’t make it count before the final buzzer.
The contest needed a shootout, with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin alternating glove side and blocker side on Stuart Skinner after both Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins couldn’t beat Alex Lyon in the skills competition to decide the extra point.
The Red Wings earned the victory to win their fourth straight game, while the Oilers had their own three-game win streak come to an end with the defeat.
Speaking of skills competition – after hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night to conclude their six-game homestand, the Oilers will be back at Rogers Place for the annual Skills Competition on Sunday afternoon.
McDavid can’t put it around Lyon, Raymond shoots far side
Nugent-Hopkins fans on it, Larkin goes blocker side to win the game
