The Detroit Red Wings and host Anaheim Ducks are each coming off one-goal victories ahead of their game Friday.
Both teams played Wednesday. The Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime, and the Ducks lost 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson scored 1:30 into overtime to help the Red Wings end a two-game losing streak.
Detroit held the Penguins’ superstar duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to one point — an assist by Crosby — despite six shots by each.
“There’s nights that you play Pittsburgh and they’re Pittsburgh. There’s nights that you play Pittsburgh and Sidney and Malkin look like they’re going to take the game over,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “This was one of those nights. So, I give our guys credit. It’s tough to check those guys. Everyone in the lineup has to do it on the road, and we did it.”
Detroit goalie Cam Talbot, who got his 250th career win, was a big factor. He made 31 saves, including two point-blank stops on Malkin — the last came in overtime seconds before Edvinsson’s winner.
The Red Wings also ended their five-period goal drought in the second, when Jonatan Berggren notched his first goal of the season to give Detroit a 1-0 lead one minute into the period. It was the Red Wings’ first goal since they scored in the second period of their 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday.
Brock McGinn and Frank Vatrano scored for the Ducks, who have lost five of their past six games, in their home loss to the Golden Knights on Wednesday. Lukas Dostal made 36 saves.
“I think there’s a lot to build off of tonight,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “There’s a lot of things we’re doing well in our D-zone that were a little shaky before.”
McGinn’s goal gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead with 2:21 left in the first, but Nicolas Roy tied it for Vegas with 49 seconds remaining in the period. The Golden Knights scored once in the second and third periods. Vatrano’s goal with 14 seconds left cut the Ducks’ deficit to 3-2.
“As a staff, we try to break it down into how (the opponent is) generating chances, and I think tonight a lot of them came off our sticks,” Cronin said. “Just faulty passes and maybe some poor decisions, but they worked hard. I can’t fault that. They worked hard and put ourselves in position to tie the game.”
The Ducks were without veteran defenseman Cam Fowler and forwards Robby Fabbri and Mason McTavish because of injuries. Fowler (upper body) and Fabbri (undisclosed) were placed on injured reserve before the game Wednesday. McTavish missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury.
Lucas Raymond leads Detroit with 14 points (a goal and 13 assists) and captain Dylan Larkin has a team-leading nine goals.
Troy Terry has 11 points (five goals, six assists) to lead Anaheim. Terry and Leo Carlsson are tied for the team lead in goals.
–Field Level Media