Edmonton, Alberta — The first period Thursday wasn’t good enough. It was 20 minutes the Red Wings simply weren’t good enough on the road, against a quality team like the Edmonton Oilers.
So, coach Todd McLellan let the Wings know it between periods.
“We didn’t flat out have enough players going, and that was the conversation between periods,” said McLellan, whose challenge seemed to be wake up the Wings, who rallied for a 3-2 shootout win over the Oilers.
“We had 10 or 12 players that were giving us what we needed, and we had passengers. The challenge was to find three or four more in the second period. We didn’t know who was going to step up or where it was going to come from, but we found two or three more in the second and two or three more in the third.
“Whether you play eight or nine minutes or play 25 like Larks did (captain Dylan Larkin, 25 minutes 3 seconds), everybody got a chunk of the win.”
Larkin, who was dominant all over the ice, clinched the shootout win after Lucas Raymond scored in the first round.
BOX SCORE: Red Wings 3, Oilers 2 (SO)
Goaltender Alex Lyon stopped 44 shots and then stopped two Oilers in overtime, and defenseman Moritz Seider starred playing 30 minutes, 44 seconds while containing the star pair of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Part of it, maybe, was the Wings simply getting their legs going Thursday after the long travel the day before from Detroit to Edmonton. But McLellan’s message was effective, as well.
“He came in and had some words with us after the first (period),” said Larkin, as the Oilers grabbed a quick 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. “We knew we had to get going but credit to him to get us going that way.”
Said Lyon: “We kind of found our legs. I wouldn’t say it was the best start to the road trip but we’ll take those two points for sure against such a dangerous team.”
The Wings (25-21-5) continue their road swing Saturday in Calgary, having now won four consecutive games. They are two points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Michael Rasmussen and Larkin scored second-period goals, erasing the 2-0 Edmonton lead.
Rasmussen scored his eighth goal at 9:59. Elmer Soderblom skated the puck down the middle and found Jonatan Berggren on the wing. Berggren fired a shot toward net that Rasmussen got his stick on the shot, driving to the net.
“Prior to that goal, we weren’t directed or attacking the net, and trying to play an east-west game,” McLellan said. “I just don’t think that’s who we are. When we’re directed to the net and play off whatever occurs in that situation, we’re way better off.”
Larkin tied it at a little later, at 11:47. Marco Kasper banked a pass off the boards sending Larkin in alone. Larkin got behind the Oilers’ defense and snuck a shot past goaltender Stuart Skinner, Larkin’s 22nd goal.
Larkin played the 25:03 on 30 shifts, scored a goal and was plus-one, had 10 shots on net, was credited with three takeaways and three blocked shots, and took a mind-boggling 39 faceoffs, winning 24 (62 percent).
“That was a captain’s night,” McLellan said. “That’s a leadership night.”
Draisaitl (power play) and Jeff Skinner had first-period Edmonton goals.
Draisaitl scored his 36th, one-timing a shot on a puck that hopped over Ben Chiarot’s stick and straight onto Draisaitl’s stick at the dot. Skinner pushed the lead to 2-0 with his ninth goal. Lyon failed to cover the puck, and the puck squirted out front, where Skinner, all alone, tapped the puck into an empty net.
“You never want to give up a goal like that in the first, when you have a chance to cover it and kind of inflict harm on yourself,” Lyon said. “Maybe good motivation too, and maybe kind of find that next level to shut it down. That was our mindset to try to give the guys a chance after that, and I’m just happy it worked out against such a good team.”
Lyon deflected away an Evan Bouchard shot in the slot in the third period, then stopped Draisaitl in the slot in overtime, two of Lyon’s key stops during the evening.
“Alex was obviously a key to the victory,” McLellan said. “He faced a lot of shots. Not all of them dangerous but there were some succession type shots that he had to be alert and get us some whistles, and when we broke down, that’s why goalies wear the same-colored jerseys as everybody else.
“He’s there to provide the security and he did that.”
tkulfan@detroitnews.com
@tkulfan
Want to comment on this story? Become a subscriber today. Click here.