Detroit — The Red Wings were playing well and winning games leading into Thursday's game against Edmonton, but so were the Oilers.
The Oilers have been doing it for a bit longer, too, and stayed hot with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Red Wings. It was Edmonton's ninth consecutive victory, while ending the Wings' three-game win streak.
Darnell Nurse scored his sixth goal of the season, at 1 minute, 20 seconds of overtime, snapping a shot past goaltender Alex Lyon from the dot.
A tough loss, indeed, but the Wings felt good about at least earning a point in the standings.
"Just a goal in overtime," said coach Derek Lalonde of the difference in the game. "That's a 2-2 hockey game. Both teams probably deserved a point. They had a lot more volume in shots (47-18) but we hit a lot of iron. We missed an open net, hit a couple of crossbars and post, and the play in overtime was a turnover in front of our net from a tired player.
"We'll probably take a point all things considering."
BOX SCORE: Oilers 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)
The Oilers outshot the Wings by a wide margin. But the Wings had glorious chances and simply didn't convert.
"(The shots) are a reflection of the game for sure," Lalonde said. "We did a pretty good job of not giving second chances or odd man looks or off the rush. They are a shot volume team. It was a reflection of the game but we hit five irons, two crossbars and those don't count as shots but those are goals. We had our looks too."
Former Michigan standout Zach Hyman broke a 1-1 tie in a wild third period with his 26th goal, giving the Oilers a 2-1 lead. But Olli Maatta tied it 2-2, poking in a loose puck in the crease past goalie Calvin Pickard at 16:03.
Connor McDavid tied the game at 1-1 with his 16th goal, breaking in alone on Lyon.
"It's a good team," said Lyon of the Oilers. "It's always interesting playing teams like that because you can see where the bar is at. We came into it knowing it would be a good test. It feels bad right now but it's a huge point and you have to take the positives."
Andrew Copp scored his sixth, to snap a 0-0 tie and begin the third-period explosion. Copp skated to the top of the hashmarks and snapped a shot past Pickard. The Oilers challenged for goalie interference, as Michael Rasmussen did bump into Pickard's glove, but the goal was deemed good.
"A game like this you have to take the positives," Copp said. "When you can sustain offensive zone pressure for a long period of time it puts teams on their heels. We did a decent job when we did, but it's a real good team. We have to defend first and defend harder and to end plays earlier."
Lyon continued his outstanding play for the Wings, in his sixth consecutive start. In those 44 saves Lyon had, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for 10 shots and only McDavid had the one goal.
More:Goaltending, structure keys for Red Wings' perfection on penalty kill
Lyon is enjoying the current hot streak but isn't taking anything for granted.
"Certainly at the NHL level but I don't think about it like that anymore," said Lyon, of whether this is as good a streak he's had in his vagabond NHL career. "I don't get too wrapped up. It's going to go the other way eventually. It's the nature of the goalie position.
"You try to ride the highs as long as you can and when the lows happen, just maintain that even keel. That's my focus right now and I'm just trying to help the team provide whatever I can.
"It's a dangerous team (Edmonton). I felt pretty good."
Lalonde feels Lyon has given the Wings a needed spark after a difficult month of December for the Wings.
"Our guys feed off him," Lalonde said. "He was excellent. Handling the puck, his rebound control. Some big saves too. He's a big part of why we got a point."
The fact the Wings were able to contain McDavid to the one goal and kept Draisaitl off the scoresheet — while killing both Edmonton power plays, extending the Wings' successful penalty-killing streak to 22 — made for a successful evening.
"You'll take that, a 2-2 game," Lalonde said. "Two power plays, which is always scary but we were perfect on the penalty kill, so for the most part, pretty good. But they are really, really good. It's scary when they go over the boards in overtime.
"But for the most part, giving a team like that two goals you give yourself a chance and we did."
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
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