RECAP: Penultimate 2026-27 preseason game sees Detroit outlast Buffalo with 3-2 overtime win

DETROIT -- Taking the ice in front of Hockeytown faithful for the first time this 2026-27 preseason, the Detroit Red Wings earned a physical and chippy 3-2 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

“One of the first things Todd (McLellan) said was that it was going to be a different Camp,” said Alex DeBrincat, who scored the game-winning goal just 33 seconds into the extra frame. “We got to come in with intensity and be ready to play, because you only get two games. That was something we tried to do out there. It got a little feisty out there, but it’s good for us. I think the more real it is, the better we’re going to be right from Opening Night.”

Netminder Daniil Tarasov played the full game and made 17 saves for the Red Wings, while the Sabres saw goalie Alex Lyon exit early in the first period and goaltender Colten Ellis record 16 saves in relief.  

“If there’s 23 spots that can be filled, if that’s what we go with, there’s probably 19 or 20 that are spoken for when we get here,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “Some guys are on notice though. They need to have better seasons than they have in the past, but they’re likely going to start here and we’re going to give them an opportunity. And then there’s four, five, six guys that are really competing for a couple spots, and that’s where we’re at.”

After crashing the net, Trevor Kuntar cleaned up the rebound of Jake Richard's initial shot in the slot – Tarasov tried to push the puck out of harm's way in front of the crease – to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead at 10:48 of the first period.

The Red Wings answered on their first power play of the night, as Anton Johansson got the puck immediately after Emmitt Finnie’s face-off win in the right circle and set up Axel Sandin-Pellikka for a one-timer in the opposite circle to tie it 1-1 at 16:11.

“When you score points, you get confidence,” said Johansson, who has recorded five assists in three exhibition games. “When you play good, you get confidence. So yeah, I’m full of confidence right now. It feels good.”

Taking back the lead for Buffalo just 33 seconds into the second period, Jiri Kulich trickled a wrist shot through Tarasov to make it 2-1.

“(Tarasov) would like to have the squeaker that got through on him probably back, but it was a 2-on-1,” McLellan said. “First goal, there was a lot of ping pong going on and I think he was the last guy to poke the puck away. So, some events that happened with him involved were odd in some way, but yet he made some pretty good saves. He had to fight through traffic. He’s a big man. We feel comfortable. He’s got to learn a little bit more about how we play with our hand-offs to defensemen, handling the puck and stuff like that. He’s been around us now for eight days. He’s been doing a good job.”

Tempers flared 1:06 into the third period when Alex DeBrincat dropped the gloves with Kuntar.

That brought some energy, and Sheldon Dries tied it for Detroit only 6:07 later on a deflection of Jacob Bryon’s shot from the left point. Wilmer Skoog recorded the secondary assist on the play, which came just after a Red Wings’ power play expired.

“It’s an intense game,” DeBrincat said. “(Kuntar) had done some stuff earlier in the game too and in the pile, he came in hard. I just saw red, I guess. Probably shouldn’t be fighting, but it is what it is. It’s an intense game out there. We got to play hard and do what we need to do.”

On the power play to begin overtime, Moritz Seider connected with Lucas Raymond, who found DeBrincat across the ice in the left face-off circle for a one-timer that beat Ellis.

“Overall, we didn’t give up too much and we had a lot of chances,” DeBrincat said. “I think it’s something we can build on for sure and go into the next game even better.”

NEXT UP: The Red Wings will wrap up their four-game exhibition slate when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.  

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on generating more offense this season

“It’s going to be by committee. We signed Viktor Arvidsson. Viktor’s a 20-plus goal scorer, but that alone doesn’t make up for everything that left. We need some internal increases from our veteran players that have been around.”

DeBrincat on scoring his overtime game-winning goal

“It’s always fun to see the guys battling for each other and, obviously, winning the game is fun too, no matter preseason or whatever it is. It’s always fun to come away with a win and really get your legs under you.”

DeBrincat on Johansson

“He gets pucks through to the point and helps us forwards know what’s going there, get to the net. Obviously, he’s been getting his points and stuff like that, but there’s so much more to his game. He’s defending well. He’s moving the puck well. He’s been playing great.”

Johansson on his preseason so far

“I feel good. Feel better and better every game. I think it was good for me to get those rookie tournament games to get into it for real and have those games in my legs before I went into this preseason. It feels good.”

Johansson on how he describes his game

“I say I’m a two-way defender. I got my upside in offense, but I’m trying to be reliable in the defensive zone.”