Viktor Arvidsson was crouched on the ice when he celebrated his – and the Detroit Red Wings' first goal of the 2026-27 season.
It was something, at least, to bring cheers from fans who crowded into Little Caesars Arena for the second game of the season, the day after more controversy enveloped a team surrounded by turmoil.
More "Sell the team" chants greeted the first drop of the puck, and resurfaced when the Winnipeg Jets scored three straight goals during a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 4.
The Wings worked their way into the game, but wound up losing, 3-2, even with an extra skater for most of the final five minutes.
Emmitt Finnie pulled the Wings within a goal four minutes into the third period, scoring the team's first 5-on-5 goal of the season when
he knocked in a pass made from behind the net by Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. The Wings took advantage of a delayed penalty call to use an extra skater for roughly 30 seconds with about five minutes to go in regulation, then segued to a power play at 15:53 and pulled goalie John Gibson at 17:58.
Red Wings lines
With forwards Dylan Larkin (upper body) and Marco Kasper (upper body) unavailable, the Wings went with 11 forwards. Up front, Andrew Copp centered Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond, Emmitt Finnie centered Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Viktor Arvidsson, and J.T. Compher centered Michael Rasmussen and Keegan Kolesgar, with Nate Danielson and Mason Appleton pairing up with different wingers.
On defense, the pairs were Moritz Seider with Albert Johansson, Justin Faulk with Anton Johansson and Axel Sandin-Pellikka with Ben Chiarot, and Andreas Englund making his debut since being picked up on waivers the previous weekend.
Simon Edvinsson missed his second straight game – the restricted free remains without a contract. News emerged Saturday evening that Edvinsson has joined Larkin in requesting a trade.
Penalty problems
It was a tough second half of the first period for the Wings. Newcomer Keegan Kolesar jumped to defend J.T. Compher after he was hit by Tyrel Bauer, but Kolesar took the brunt of the end of the fight and looked woozy as he skated off, heading straight to the tunnel. Brandsegg-Nygard served the extra penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct also assessed to Kolesar.
That's 2 fights in 2 games now for rookie Tyrel Bauer, and this one was decisive 😵🥊 https://t.co/ZcjKJQ5HKE pic.twitter.com/D34LgSXP6W
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 4, 2026
Cole Perfetti took advantage of that power play when he deflected Kyle Connor's shot, putting the Wings in a 1-0 hole at 13:04. At the same time, Compher took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and the Jets used that power play to make it 2-0 when Connor slipped a backhand behind Gibson.
Star power
The Jets' top players made it 3-0 while Lucas Raymond watched from the penalty box early in the second period. It was Connor, again, on a rebound, as the Shelby Township native picked up his third point of the game. Josh Morrissey got up his second assist, and Perfetti his second assist and third point.
First goal
Arvidsson, a free-agent signee, scored his first goal in a Wings uniform and the team's first goal of the season when he was in position by Winnipeg's crease during the Wings' third power play of the game. Copp's shot ricocheted past Stuart Skinner off Arvidsson's left skate, with 3:08. That ended a drought of 96:52 minutes without a goal.
Viktor Arvidsson's first as a Red WIng! pic.twitter.com/cVABeOvqJB
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 4, 2026
Up next
The Wings will host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Detroit SportNet).
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Wings hear more 'sell the team' chants in loss to Jets
