The Detroit Red Wings were first to score, but needed a late goal to salvage the night.
In the last of a string of home games to start the season, the Wings faced the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Little Caesars Arena, but a lead gained 13 minutes into the game did not last the period.
The WIngs pulled goaltender John Gibson with two minutes to go for an extra attacker, though, and it paid off when Alex DeBrincat tapped in his own shot (for career goal No. 299) after it banked off a player towards the net with 1:33 to play. The Wings ended up in a shootout for the second time this season, and Lucas Raymond used the opportunity to find the back of the net for the first time this season, giving the Wings a 4-3 victory and nudging their
record to 3-3-2.
The Wings weren't helped by a steady stream of penalties. They had a player in the box for the fifth time of the game early in the third period, and that's when Ivar Stenberg converted a grade-A chance from just outside the crease three minutes in. Emmitt Finnie finished Michael Brandsegg-Nygard's setup five minutes into the period to drag the Wings back within a goal.
Who played
Raymond, without a goal through seven games, was back on a line with Dylan Larkin and Viktor Arvidsson after starting the previous game on the third line. Finnie centered DeBrincat and Brandsegg-Nygard, and Andrew Copp centered Michael Rasmussen (the two paired up for the winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers earlier this week) and Nate Danielson. Sheldon Dries and Keegan Kolesar subbed onto various lines as the Wings dressed 11 forwards for the fourth straight time, with J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper and Mason Appleton all unavailable because of injuries.
On the back end, Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Justin Faulk, William Wallinder, Anton Johansson, Albert Johansson and Andreas Englund dressed.
First strike
For only the second time through eight games this season, the Wings were first to score. They were on a power play when Faulk fired a shot from just inside the blue line that sank behind former Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic for a 1-0 lead at 12:47 of the first period.
Sharks bite back
The Sharks tied things up late in the first period when Dmitry Orlov took a pass from Ivar Stenberg and fired a long shot that eluded John Gibson to make it 1-1 at 17:39. Celebrini, the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL draft, assisted on that goal and scored one of his own on a slap shot to put the Sharks up 2-1 five minutes into the second period. He also assisted on Stenberg's goal.
Next up: Sleepless in Seattle
After playing at home for seven of their first eight games this season, the Wings head to the Northwest – Pacific and otherwise – for four straight, starting with a rematch against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, Oct. 20 (9:40 p.m., Detroit SportsNet). The Wings hosted the Kraken earlier this month, giving up five straight goals in a rough 6-3 loss at Little Caesars Arena. After the stop in the Emerald City, the Wings head to Vancouver on Thursday to face the Canucks, Calgary on Oct. 24 to face the Flames (in their final game at the Saddledome, barring a Stanley Cup matchup) and, finally, to Edmonton on Oct. 26 to face the Oilers. The Wings wrap up the month at home with an Oct. 29 visit from the Chicago Blackhawks and a Halloween date with the St. Louis Blues.
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings rally to top San Jose Sharks in SO
