Several of the young players the Detroit Red Wings are counting on to make their team better this season showed off their skills during an offensive feast in their second game of NHL preseason.
The Wings traveled to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins in an exhibition match at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and a night after failing to find the back of the net even once, the Wings scored a 7-4 victory over a Penguins lineup that boasted Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
The Wings' former first-round picks showed out: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard had two goals, Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored once and Nate Danielson had an assist. Brandsegg-Nygard and Danielson are projected to be in the lineup when the Wings open the regular season Oct. 2 against
the New York Rangers, and Sandin-Pellikka also has a good chance to join them.
Anton Johansson, a fourth-round pick from 2022, had four assists.
Who traveled
Brandsegg-Nygard, Danielson and Sandin-Pellikka made second straight appearances, part of the plan to maximize their opportunites during the four-game preseason.
Newcomer Viktor Arvidsson played his first game, next to Marco Kasper and Emmitt Finnie. The other forwards were Mason Appleton, Sutter Muzzatti, Theo Rochette, Ondrej Becher, Wilmer Skoog, Noah Dower-Nilsson and Jesse Kiiskinen. The defense corps was headlined by Ben Chiarot and Albert Johansson, a pairing Todd McLellan is considering using going forward, as well as veteran Justin Faulk and prospects Sandin-Pellikka, Anton Johansson and William Wallinder.
Showing off his skills
The Wings faced a stronger test than during the previous night's 1-0 shootout loss, when they played a Columbus Blue Jackets team short on star power. Nick Robertson scored while the Penguins were shorthanded at 7:19 of the first period.
Ten minutes later, it was a tie game. Chiarot played the puck down the right flank to Danielson, who threaded a pass through the slot to Brandsegg-Nygard, in position in the left circle to one-time the puck behind Arturs Silovs.
Brandsegg-Nygard scored again on a deflection during a power play early in the third period, with Anton Johansson and Rochette assisting.
Seconds apart
Appleton made it 2-1 with a backhand goal off another Chiarot setup at 4:26 of the second period. Anton Johansson also drew an assist. Sandin-Pellikka made it 3-1 when he one-timed a pass from Arvidsson 31 seconds after Appleton's goal, with Finnie drawing the second assist on Sandin-Pellikka's first point of the preseason.
Rikard Rakell scored on a spin-around move near the crease to pull the Penguins within a goal at 12:22.
Ondrej Becher scored on a tip-in midway through the third period to put the Wings up by two. Anton Johansson picked up his third assist on that goal. Wilmer Skoog and Jesse Kiiskinen scored about a minute part past the halfway point of the third period to pull Detroit ahead 7-3.
Red Wings highlights vs Penguins in preseason
Here are the Red Wings' goals from Tuesday's win in Pittsburgh in the 2026 NHL preseason.
First preseason goal belongs to MBN!🚕 pic.twitter.com/fXydHjj7Tb
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 22, 2026
(An)Johansson ➡️ Chiarot ➡️ Appleton pic.twitter.com/cdsK9YCUjH
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2026
ASP makes it THREE🚨 pic.twitter.com/gvbh7WAUTJ
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2026
MBN x2! pic.twitter.com/EP34VUVDXf
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2026
Ondrej Becher goal + Anton Johansson's 3rd assist of the night👀 pic.twitter.com/hHXO5jqNSd
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2026
Skoog goal✔️
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 23, 2026
Kiiskinen goal✔️ pic.twitter.com/KLFsxsZiIz
Goalie splits
John Gibson made his first appearance, playing the first two periods. He faced 12 shots in each period, and gave up a goal each period.
Trey Augustine, the top goalie in the farm system, entered the game to start the third period, as planned. He gave up a goal to Kaedan Korczak at 6:55, but the Wings separated with three straight goals before a Rutger McGroarty goal with 2:13 to play for the final score.
Augustine finished with six saves in 20 minutes.
INCREDIBLE SAVE BY JOHN GIBSON!!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PGk4gRISys
— NHL (@NHL) September 23, 2026
Red Wings schedule
Next up is the third of four preseason games, Thursday at Little Caesars Arena against the Buffalo Sabres. The Wings' exhibition finale is Saturday at home against Columbus.
The Red Wings' regular-season opener is Oct. 2 against the Rangers at LCA (6:30 p.m., TNT/truTV). Seven of the Wings' first eight games are at home.
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 young players devour Penguins in NHL preseason feast
