Pittsburgh — The Red Wings’ resiliency got them a point Thursday but not the second point.

Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang scored 58 seconds into overtime, on a pass from Sidney Crosby, giving the Penguins a 4-3 victory. Letang, playing in his 1,200th NHL career game, took a backhand pass from Crosby (who had two goals and an assist) in the slot and blasted a shot past goaltender Cam Talbot.

Still, the Wings (24-14-4, 52 points) managed a point. Alex DeBrincat’s power-play goal, his 21st goal, tied the game 3-3 at 17 minutes, two seconds of the third period, just shortly after Pittsburgh had taken a 3-2 lead on Blake Lizotte’s goal at 15:51.

The Wings kept battling, wouldn’t quit, and earned a point. But this game, in its entirety, won’t make the Wings’ season highlights.

“Definitely not our best game,” DeBrincat said. “But to be able to get a point, definitely it feels like we should have gotten two (points) there but that’s just the way it goes sometimes. But definitely a big point for us when we’re not feeling our best and didn’t play our best.”

BOX SCORE: Penguins 4, Red Wings 3 (OT)

DeBrincat got the puck near the post and jammed it past goaltender Arturs Silovs, who was committed to the other side. The Wings took advantage of a Penguins’ delay of game penalty, the Wings’ second goal on eight power-play opportunities in the game.

“A quick two-on-one in front of the net and the puck just kind flipped up and went off the end boards,” DeBrincat said. “The goalie was sliding the other way so I knew I had to tuck it in quick.”

The Wings certainly had opportunities on the power play, those eight total for the evening including four in the first period. The first one came just 20 seconds into the game, Crosby for tripping, and the Wings struggled from the start.

“Anytime you start a game on the power play 20 seconds in, that’s a tough thing,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Guys haven’t even touched the puck and skated yet. Then the second one (power play) came fairly quick too. We just weren’t ready to compete in those situations.

“At the end of the night it was 25 percent (two-for-eight), which isn’t too bad, and it got us two goals and probably got us a point.”

McLellan appreciated how the Wings fought back and earned a key point, but the resilience angle doesn’t have an angle the Wings need to fix.

“The more we talk about the resiliency, there’s a reason we talk about it because we’re not in a good spot (in a game),” McLellan said. “Tonight’s start wasn’t what we needed by any means. Whether it was the power play, or penalty kill right after, or the turnover in the neutral zone (leading to a Penguins goal), it all happened in the first five minutes.

“Guys didn’t even have a sweat on, yet the fact we came back and stuck with it is a good sign. But there’s factors to lead to that resiliency that we have to address.”

James van Riemsdyk (power play) and Andrew Copp added the Wings’ other goals.

Copp tied the game 2-2, just 1:01 into the second period. Ben Chiarot’s attempt to dump the puck into the zone nicked something in the corner, bounced in front of the Penguins’ net, and Copp was there to capitalize, knocking in his fifth goal into a yawning net.

Crosby scored two Pittsburgh goals in the first 5:45 of the game, his 22nd (power play) and 23rd goals.

“He is who he is for a reason,” said McLellan, of Pittsburgh’s Hall of Fame-bound star. “He’s so good on the backhand and an incredible player.”

But the Wings settled down after Crosby’s goals and eventually got on the scoreboard after three failed power play attempts in the first period, on a Penguins’ double-minor for high sticking.

Van Riemsdyk carved out position in front and deflected Marco Kasper’s shot at 17:46, van Riemsdyk’s 10th goal, slicing Pittsburgh’s lead to 2-1.

“We’ve played that game a lot in this building in previous years, they’ve had that start and Crosby especially, and it’s gone haywire pretty quick,” captain Dylan Larkin said. “I liked the way we calmed it down and even when the power play wasn’t going early, we calmed it down and ended up getting one, then got a bounce in the second (period).

“We just calmed it down and it helped us to just play and keep going and get our legs into it.”

The two teams return Saturday, playing at Little Caesars Arena, at noon.

“For sure it’s a huge point to get,” DeBrincat said. “Still, it’s a little disappointing in how we played. Some nights good teams win those games, and we feel we should have won that game, but we can go win Saturday and (earn back the points).”

tkulfan@detroitnews.com

@tkulfan

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