RECAP: Red Wings edge Lightning in overtime, 2-1, for fourth straight win

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings have found different ways to win since kicking off their 2025-26 season last week, and they did so again on Friday night with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena.

“We’ve seen a little bit of everything, to tell you the truth,” Detroit head coach Todd McLellan said. “We’ve seen our team play really well when we’re completely in charge. We’ve seen a goaltender steal a game in Toronto. We’ve seen a fairly well-played game coming back here. Tonight, we kind of saw two games in one. Tonight specifically, I thought it was a good start. I thought our power play allowed them to get back in the game. Our power play has to score or establish momentum, and it didn’t do either of that…There are still opportunities for us to have more poise.”

Goalie John Gibson stopped 31-of-32 shots for his first win as a member of the Red Wings (4-1-0; 8 points), while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy's 29 saves helped the Lightning (1-2-2; 4 points) pick up a point.

“The guys did a really good job tonight in front of me,” Gibson said. “Blocking shots and clearing the shooting lanes, so it helped me out. It was a good team win.”

Detroit held Tampa Bay without a shot on goal for the first 12:42 of the opening period, including when the Lightning were on the power play around the halfway mark. At 13:02, Axel Sandin-Pellikka kicked open the scoring when he skated to the high slot and whipped a shot that bounced through traffic into the back of the net to give the Red Wings a 1-0 lead.

Not only did captain Dylan Larkin and Mason Appleton tally the assists, but they were also amongst the group of excited skaters who mobbed Sandin-Pellikka on the ice after he recorded what was also the rookie defenseman's first career NHL point.

“I wasn’t sure if it hit Appleton before,” said Sandin-Pellikka, who became the third-youngest blueliner in franchise history to score their first NHL goal in the past 35 years. “He had to point at me. As soon as he gave me the point, I started just screaming. I don’t really know what happened, but it was unbelievable.”

That 1-0 score remained unchanged at the end of the second period, in which Detroit killed two more Tampa Bay power plays. The Red Wings finished a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill against the Lightning.

On the season, Detroit is an impressive 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) while shorthanded.

“Confidence goes a long way,” McLellan said about his club’s penalty kill through its first five games. “Believing that we can get things done. Some structure adjustments, but just some reads. I think we’re able to stay on the fresh side, if you will, a lot more than the tired side. That’s made a difference. But lots of hockey left and usually your goaltender is your best killer. We need that to continue.”

That forced overtime, where Larkin won it for the Red Wings at 3:36. Sent up the ice by J.T. Compher, the 29-year-old captain sped in all alone with the puck and blasted it past Vasilevskiy for the game-winning goal.

“It was a nice move,” Gibson said about Larkin’s 10th career NHL overtime tally. “You trust guys like that, who have the offensive capability that get that 1-on-1 breakaway chance that they’re going to score, and he did.”

NEXT UP: Detroit will look to keep things rolling and finish its three-game homestand on a high note when the the two-time defending Western-Conference champion Edmonton Oilers visit Little Caesars Arena on Sunday afternoon.

WHAT WAS SAID

McLellan on the play of the Red Wings’ rookie trio so far this season

“I don’t know what to say anymore. We talk so much about these guys. I’m working the forwards, Yawns is working the back end and Alex Tanguay is in between. We’re talking to each other and we just feel like we can keep playing them. They’re not often at the scene of the crime for mistakes. Yeah, they make some. They’re hungry and effective right now. We’ll keep playing them.”

Gibson on Tampa Bay’s late push

“You just got to stay in it. Obviously, sometimes it’s a little tough. But like I said, when they did have the push, the guys did a good job clearing the net front and blocking shots. There were a number of forwards and D that had a bunch of big blocks tonight, so it was a team effort.”

Sandin-Pellikka on Detroit getting the win on the same night he scored his first career goal

“Unbelievable. I think this part is also a little bit of a dream come true, also scoring a goal. It’s another step, but I’m very happy. There were some good plays before that and grateful to get the win.”