Pavel Datsyuk lifts Red Wings to overtime win over Oilers

Edmonton, AB, Canada (4E Sports) – Pavel Datsyuk delivered the go-ahead goal in overtime as the Detroit Red Wings rallied from a two-goal deficit and spoiled the Edmonton Oilers’ first game at Rexall Place in nearly three weeks with a 3-2 win Friday.

Datsyuk took a pass from Johan Franzen and made a couple of fakes to elude defenseman Jeff Petry before whipping a wrister past Devan Dubnyk for his ninth goal of the season and first in 11 games.

“We’re having a tough time on the road,” Datsyuk said, “but now I hope we’re unstoppable like a red machine.”

Netminder Jimmy Howard stopped 30 of 32 shots while Valtteri Filppula and Niklas Kronwall recorded the other two goals for the Red Wings, who swept the three-game season series with the Oilers.

The win, just the fourth for Detroit in 12 road games this season, lifted the Red Wings (13-10-5) fifth in the Western Conference with 31 points.

Detroit also improved to 18-1-7 in its last 26 games against the Oilers, who are 13th with 26 points.

The Red Wings also spoiled the night for the Oilers, who were playing their first game at Rexall Place since Feb. 23 after going 3-4-2 on a franchise-record nine-game road trip.

The loss was the Oilers’ 12th straight when returning home after a road trip of two or more games and it was a bitter one to swallow as they were almost flawless through the first 40 minutes.

“We played with a lot of intensity in the first and second periods, but in the third we just sat back. We can’t do that,” said Edmonton forward Taylor Hall, who opened the scoring at 3:34 of the first period with his sixth goal of the season.

The Oilers made it 2-0 with 3:42 remaining in the period when Sam Gagner tapped in a rebound in the crease for his 11th score of the season.

The Red Wings finally broke Dubnyk’s defense at 4:27 into the third period on a backhander from the slot by Filppula.

Kronwall then got credit for the tying goal with 5:53 left in regulation when his power-play shot was blocked in the slot and Petry accidentally shot the carom into his own net while trying to clear the puck.

The Oilers outshot Detroit 26-14 through 40 minutes, but were outshot 12-6 in the third period and 2-0 in overtime.

Dubnyk, for his part, finished with 25 saves for the Oilers.

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