In a wild Halloween Eve game from Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night, the Detroit Red Wings (8-3-0) snatch victory from the gaping jaws of defeat with a 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings (5-3-4).
After a scoreless first period, the Kings jumped on the board first when Alex Laferriere scored a shorthanded goal with 7:21 remaining in the second period.
Wings answered just 43 seconds later with 6:38 left, while on the same power play advantage, when Alex DeBrincat fired home a slap shot from the corner off a perfect feed from Lucas Raymond and an assist from Moritz Seider. For DeBrincat, it is his 3rd goal in the last three games. Raymond would also pick up his seventh helper, while Seider would add his fourth on the play.
Detroit would tack on another power play goal with 5:14 remaining in the period, as Marco Kasper would deflect a shot by Axel Sandin-Pelikka in the mid-slot past Kings’ goaltender Darcy Kuemper. Kasper would pick up his second goal of the year, while Sandin-Pelikka would add his second assist, and Andrew Copp would tab his fourth helper as well.
In the third period, the Wings would take a 3-1 lead on another goal by Kasper on a nifty netfront feed from Mason Appleton with 5:15 left in the third. For Appleton, it would be his third assist on the year, while DeBrincat would add his ninth on the secondary helper.
Unfortunately for Detroit, long-time nemesis Corey Perry would so two goals in the span of 40 seconds (2:13 and 1:33 left) with the goaltender pulled to tie the game and send it into overtime.
In overtime, Raymond would be called for a slashing penalty with 2:02 remaining in the extra frame, which led to what would have been a game-winning goal with 39.4 seconds remaining by Kevin Fiala. However, after the league’s Situation Room demanded a review for goaltender interference, the goal was overturned as Fiala’s contact with Cam Talbot in the crease was deemed illegal.
With new life, the Red Wings would send the game to a shootout, where Raymond was the only goal scorer and Talbot denied all three Kings shooters.
While many would argue that the Red Wings did not deserve the win due to the poor late-third-period collapse and questionable goaltender interference call, it is still two points the team won’t complain about.
As Detroit continues on its five-game road trip, the Red Wings will travel down the Santa Ana Freeway to take on the Anaheim Ducks (5-3-1) from Honda Center tonight at 10 p.m. ET.
