Michal Postava’s first NHL start came with a heavyweight assignment, and the rookie handled it well enough to help the Detroit Red Wings leave Edmonton with a 4-3 shootout win over the Oilers.
Detroit finished its four-game West Coast trip by outlasting a team powered by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl, and Postava was steady through the chaos. The Red Wings had to survive long stretches in their own end, but their young goaltender kept the game manageable as the score stayed tight through the first two periods.
Edmonton struck first when Vasily Podzolkin turned a shot from Draisatl into a rebound that slipped in over Postava’s pads early in the opening period. The Red Wings answered in the second when former Oiler Viktor Arvidsson scored his fourth power play goal of the year, tying the game and matching his PPG totals from last season while playing with the Bruins.
Detroit’s depth had to grind through heavy minutes as the game wore on. Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, who was an assistant under Babcock during Detroit’s 2008 Stanley Cup run, spent plenty of the night watching extended shifts in the Edmonton zone, with the third line of JT Compher, Andrew Copp and Michael Rasmussen logging nearly the same ice time as the top line heading into the third period.
The Oilers took control again early in the final frame after the Red Wings were hit with back-to-back penalties. Isaac Howard cashed in on the second power play chance for his first goal of the season. Detroit answered almost immediately, though, as Emmitt Finnie found the backdoor on Tristan Jarry just 30 seconds later to make it 2-2.
Edmonton briefly reclaimed the lead with under five minutes left when Ryan Shea’s shot from the blue line was deflected in by Colton Dach. But the Red Wings weren’t done. With Postava pulled for an extra skater, Dylan Larkin buried the game-tying goal with just over a minute remaining in regulation to force overtime.
From there, Detroit held on through the extra session and the shootout, where Postava also stopped McDavid. He had already helped keep the Oilers’ captain from getting a clean look through the first two periods, even though McDavid still picked up a point by assisting on Edmonton’s opening goal.
The Red Wings’ defensive work around McDavid was a major part of the story, with Mo Seider helping keep the league scoring leader - who has 8 goals - in check. The late sequence before Larkin’s equalizer was another crucial stretch, as Detroit kept the puck alive in the Oilers zone with Seider and Raymond working to keep it away from Edmonton defenders. Raymond then set up Larkin in the slot with 1:17 left, giving him the chance to snap an eight-game goal drought.
Another note from Postava’s night: he has never allowed more than three goals in his professional career in the United States, dating back to his last season with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Red Wings head home next for an Original Six matchup with Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 29th. It will also be the first time Detroit faces Patrick Kane on the other side after his three-year run in Hockeytown.
Puck drop is set for 7:30 P.M. EST.
In Other News...
Red Wings May Have A New Goaltending Storyline Fans Can't Ignore
Michal Postavas first NHL start gave the Red Wings a new subplot in net, and it came in one of the leagues toughest possible settings. Detroit edged Edmonton 4-3 in a shootout, with Postava turning aside 25 shots and answering pressure in overtime and beyond as the Oilers kept coming.
The biggest moments only sharpened the intrigue. Postava held up against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when the game went to the skills contest, while Detroit found a way to rally late and extend the night before Lucas Raymond finished it off in the shootout. For a team always watching the crease closely, this was the kind of debut that makes people look twice. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Win Left The Oilers With A New Lineup Concern
The Red Wings latest win came with a ripple effect far beyond the final score, leaving Edmonton to sort through another lineup wrinkle involving Zach Hyman. The Oilers forward left the game after a collision in which Andreas Englunds hit sent him into the glass, and the team is now managing the fallout from a head injury that quickly became a bigger concern than one nights result.
Hyman is expected to miss at least a week while he goes through concussion protocol, and Edmonton still has not put a firm return date on him. Head coach Mike Babcock has already voiced concern about how injuries are affecting the lineup, and with Hyman out, the Oilers are left to rework things again while hoping this setback stays relatively short-term. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Are Leaving Axel Sandin-Pellikka In A Tough Spot
Axel Sandin-Pellikka has found himself in a difficult spot early in the season, sitting out the Red Wings last three games after last appearing on October 20. For a young defenseman trying to establish himself, a stretch like this can be especially tricky, because every night off only adds to the uncertainty around where he fits in the lineup.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff is also working through a broader roster picture on the blue line, but the club is reportedly in no rush to make major changes. Detroit is waiting for clarity on Dylan Larkins trade request and Simon Edvinssons contract status before moving forward, which leaves Sandin-Pellikkas immediate future in a holding pattern as the team weighs whether he keeps getting NHL chances or heads back to the AHL. [Read more 🡒]