RECAP: Detroit picks up point in 4-3 overtime loss in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH – Snagging a point against a fellow Eastern Conference foe in the second half of their midweek back-to-back set, the Detroit Red Wings dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night.

“It’s an important point for us to get,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “Not easy playing back-to-back in this League, and especially on the road. So, we’ll take the point and try to find a way to play a little bit better [against the Penguins on Saturday].”

Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 26 shots for Detroit (24-14-4; 52 points), which moved to 10-7-3 on the road this season. As for netminder Arturs Silovs, he had 24 saves to help Pittsburgh (18-12-9; 45 points) win its third game in a row.

“Great resilience,” Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said. “Great team battle. Great battle by Talbs to get a point there. They’re a good team in this building and this year.”

Detroit found itself in a 2-0 hole before the six-minute mark of the first period, surrendering two goals from Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby in a span of 1:38. The 38-year-old forward fired the puck from long range on the power play – the Penguins' first shot of the night --- past a screened Talbot at 4:08, then struck again at 5:46 with a wrister from the slot.

Patrick Kane was hit in the mouth by Tommy Novak at 16:19 -- he left the game but returned for the start of the middle frame – and the Red Wings cashed in on the first part of the four-minute power play when James van Riemsdyk tipped in Marco Kasper’s shot from the top of the right face-off circle to make it 2-1 at 17:46. Earning the secondary helper on van Riemsdyk’s 10th goal of the season was Simon Edvinsson, who has collected five points (one goal, four assists) in his last seven contests.

“A tough start to the game,” Alex DeBrincat said. “You never want to go down two. The rest of the period was power plays and not much flow 5-on-5. In the second period, I thought we played a little bit better than the first.”

The lone goal of the middle frame was scored by Andrew Copp, who tied things up 1-1 for Detroit at 1:01. Silvos went to make a play on a puck that Ben Chiarot had dumped into Pittsburgh’s zone, but it bounced off the boards and right to Copp in front of the unoccupied net that the 31-year-old forward quickly deposited.

With the secondary helper on Copp’s fifth goal of the season, Kane is now just eight points away from passing Mike Modano (1,374) for the most by a U.S.-born skater in NHL history.

It appeared Lucas Raymond had given Detroit its first lead of the night at 12:48 of the third period when he cleaned up a rebound off Larkin’s shot from the slot that was first denied by Silvos, but Pittsburgh successfully challenged that the play was offside.

A bit later in the final frame, after Blake Lizotte’s goal pushed the Penguins back in front 3-2 at 15:51, DeBrincat scored his 21st goal of the season on Detroit’s eighth power play of the night to tie it 3-3 at 17:02.

“A quick 2-on-1 in front of the net,” said DeBrincat, who was assisted by Raymond and Larkin. “Just kind of flipped up and went off the end while the goalie was sliding the other way, so I knew I had to just tuck it in quick.”

But 58 seconds into the extra session, Kris Letang one-timed Crosby’s backhand pass past Talbot to get the Penguins that second standings point.

“This is just the way it goes sometimes, but definitely a big point for us when we’re not feeling our best,” DeBrincat said. “Definitely didn’t play our best, so take the positives and go onto the next game. We’ll see them again in two days.”

NEXT UP: It’ll be a busy Saturday at Little Caesars Arena, as the Red Wings will host the Penguins for Kids Day in the afternoon before the Boston Fleet face off against the Vancouver Goldeneyes later that night as part of this year’s PWHL Takeover Tour.

WHAT WAS SAID

McLellan on Detroit going 2-for-8 on the man advantage

“At the end of the night, it was 25 percent – which isn’t too bad. It got us two goals and probably got us a point. Anytime you start a game on the power play 20 seconds in, that’s a tough thing.”

Larkin on fighting back against the Penguins

“It’s being patient. With how many games we’ve played this year, we’re confident in our team game. We didn’t have any special performances tonight. It was just a solid team game that got a point where we felt like we should have gotten two.”

DeBrincat on showing resiliency in Pittsburgh

“It’s a huge point to get. Still a little disappointed in how we played, but some nights, good teams win those games. We feel like we should’ve won that game, but we can go win on Saturday and make it back.”