EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Detroit Red Wings spent almost the entire game Friday night rallying to pull even with the Edmonton Oilers but ended up dropping a 3-2 shootout decision.
Edmonton had a 2-0 lead before five minutes had been played and the Red Wings used every second of the remaining 55 minutes to tie things back up. Brian Rafalski forced overtime with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation.
Andrew Cogliano opened the game's scoring just 57 seconds into the game, scoring into the open side of the net on a cross-crease feed from Gilbert Brule.
4:01 later, Ryan Whitney scored his first goal as an Oiler, cutting from the top of the left circle in low to snap a shot past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard.
Patrick Eaves put the Red Wings on the board with 8:09 left in the second period. Kris Draper raced in behind the Edmonton goal on the forecheck and won the puck, sending it out to Eaves in the right circle for a one-timer past Edmonton netminder Devan Dubnyk.
Rafalski tied the game when Henrik Zetterberg dug the puck out from under Edmonton Theo Peckham in the corner. With nearly everyone on the ice having moved to the left corner, Pavel Datsyuk sent it across for Brian Rafalski to bang into the net from the far side of the crease.
Ryan Potulny and Gilbert Brule scored on Edmonton's first two shootout attempts before Howard stopped Robert Nilsson. Pavel Datsyuk rang a backhand chance off the post and Jason Williams scored before Valtteri Filppula was stopped to ensure the Oilers' win.
Howard made 22 saves on 24 shots on the night. Edmonton took 13 of those shots in the first ten minutes of play. Dubnyk made 31 saves on 33 Detroit chances in earning his first career victory.
Notes: Eaves left the game with an upper-body injury after the second period... Combined with Calgary's win in San Jose Friday night, the Red Wings are now tied with the Flames for eighth place in the Western Conference. Detroit has one game in hand.
Wings playing like their more asleep than I am.
This is a horrible arena for TV.
I knew we were screwed.
Pull Howard. This team needs to wake up and he shouldn't have started tonight anyway.
Edmonton has 13 shots in the first ten minutes. The Wings have had one good shift. Way to come out strong, guys. Should have stayed in Kelowna golfing.
Again, the Wings' PK is better than their full strength defense.
Well, the Wings outshot the Oilers 6-3 in about the last 10 minutes of the period.
Did the Wings just come from the bar?
Pull Howard. This team needs to wake up and he shouldn't have started tonight anyway.
Agreed... Put Ozzie in there and send the wake up call!
Eaves had better stick around.
There we go!
Awful call on Edmonton.
Who did they say was not coming back?
Far too many passes through the slot just out of someone's reach.
Who did they say was not coming back?
Eaves.
Holy f*ck, that was in time?
What a goal by Raffi!!!!
Shootout. Well, sh*t.
At least it's a point?
I know I say it every time but Howard was down too early on the first shootout attempt. The second I have no idea what he was doing. The third was a great save but you can't stop one of three shots and expect to give your team a chance.
That said, how does only one person score on a winless rookie goalie? And that one person is Jason Williams? Datsyuk beat Dubnyk but hit the post, but it doesn't count for any more than Fil's wasted shot.
1-2-1 with ericcson/lilja pair. 5-0 i believe with lilja lebda pair. Did you see where that second shot went on howard in the shootout, nobody stops that. At least we got a point is right though. Although a tie in points doesnt mean much since Calgary has more wins.
Did you see where that second shot went on howard in the shootout, nobody stops that.
Did you see where his glove was? Hell of a shot, yes, but Howard was nowhere near it.
The worst team in the league and we can't score more than two goals? Against a goalie that had never won before?
Brian Rafalski
Credit: Clark Rasmussen
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