RECAP: Red Wings cap off ‘resilient trip’ with thrilling 4-3 shootout victory over Oilers

EDMONTON - With a refusal to quit and goalie Michal Postava standing tall against the NHL’s top-scoring club in his first career start, the Detroit Red Wings rallied for a 4-3 shootout victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday night.

“I feel like a kid,” said Postava, who stopped 25-of-28 shots in regulation and overtime before a perfect 3-for-3 performance in the shootout. “I watched almost all the NHL games when I was young, and I just didn’t expect I’d [be in the NHL] one day…So now, I just feel so happy.”

The Red Wings (5-4-3; 14 points) finished their four-game road trip through the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada with five of a possible eight points – including two big ones against the Oilers (8-2-2; 18 points), who received 26 saves from netminder Tristan Jarry.

“Really proud of the group,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “Responded well after what happened in Calgary. Checked well, kept some pretty good offensive players in check for the most part. Penalty kill did a real good job, and Postava - we’re so excited for him and happy for him and sometimes that’s how it happens. Goalie gets a start such as this one, plays really well and gets the win.”

Postava poke-checked the puck away from Alex Formenton to break up a scoring chance just 1:35 into the first period, but the Czech netminder didn’t have much of a chance when Leon Draisaitl’s centering pass from inside the right face-off circle took an odd bounce off Vasily Podkolzin’s skate and in to give Edmonton a 1-0 lead. Detroit did get two opportunities on the power play before the frame’s end but couldn’t convert on either.

In the first half of the second period, the Red Wings received another power play – and tied things up. Viktor Arvidsson, who spent the 2024-25 season with the Oilers, snapped home a one-timer from the left face-off circle after a pretty sequence of passes from Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat to make it 1-1 at 8:35.

Four of Arvidsson’s five goals this season have come on the power play.

“I just try to work hard and get the pucks to the guys that can make plays,” said Arvidsson, who has recorded 10 points in 11 games since Oct. 4. “Just try to be around the net, create opportunities for them and myself. It’s been working out.”

Detroit faced some heavy pressure at the start of the third period, including nearly four consecutive minutes on the penalty kill. Although it snuffed out Edmonton on its first chance, Isaac Howard’s one-timer with five seconds left on the second look regained the lead for the hosts 2-1 at 4:18.

The Oilers’ second lead of the night was only 30 seconds long, however, as Arvidsson backhanded a pass from below the goal line across the blue paint for Emmitt Finnie to quickly deposit at the far post. That goal, Finnie's fifth of the campaign, made it 2-2 at 15:20 of the third period.

Edmonton managed to push itself back in front once more, this time at with 3:28 left in regulation when Colton Dach got a piece of Ryan Shea's slap shot from the point and the puck slipped through Postava to make it 3-2.

With time running down, the Red Wings pulled Postava in favor of an extra skater and were able to even the score 3-3 at 18:34. Dylan Larkin, who was assisted by Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, went five-hole on Jarry from in front of the Oilers' crease. 

For Larkin, it was his second goal of the season and third point (one goal, two assists) of the club's four-game road trip. 

“Against this team, you can’t let them get the next one,” McLellan said. “They get rolling, they get a lot of confidence, so we responded appropriately all three times. We’ve been using the word resilient, pretty resilient group for most of the season. We saw it again tonight.”

Overtime brought about more chances for both clubs, but finished scoreless. That led to the skills competition, where Raymond netted the lone tally to complete his club's second third-period comeback win of the season.

It was also Raymond's 12th career shootout goal, tying Todd Bertuzzi and Jiri Hudler for the fourth-most in franchise history. 

“We finished off the road trip the right way,” Arvidsson said. “It’s been good. So, happy for the team that we can go home and have a good road trip behind us.”

NEXT UP: Detroit will take on the Chicago Blackhawks in an Original Six showdown at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday night.

POSTGAME QUOTES

McLellan on this road trek

“A resilient trip. You think about how it started in Seattle, we had to come back. Real good effort in Vancouver. Looking back at the Calgary effort, we lost, but that team’s playing very well right now. They’re doing that to a lot of teams. And then to come here and finish it with a win coming back, it was a pretty good road trip for us.”

McLellan on Postava

“He is very athletic…He can read where the shot release is going, anticipate well, gets into position and then there’s not a lot that lays around after him.”

McLellan on Michael Brandsegg-Nygård recording 11 hits

“He certainly helps (Raymond) and (Larkin) out in that category, because he’s the physical part of that line. They’re playing against real good players and when that physicality comes out, that’s part of slowing a real fast team down.”

Postava on his mentality during the shootout

“Just got to enjoy the game, try to help the guys and make some saves. That’s the only mentality that I have.”

Postava on several of his teammates from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins also being on the Red Wings

“It’s also amazing. I know all of the guys from last year also…I’m just happy for them and also for (myself).”

Arvidsson on what he liked most from Monday’s shootout win

“I think we played as a five-man unit all over the ice, helped each other out. (Postava) was unbelievable in net. It was a great game by every single one.”

Arvidsson on the physicality and competitiveness of Monday’s game

“They’re really good offensively. I think we shut them down pretty good. And like I said in the beginning, everybody contributed to the win.”