Skip to content

McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins help deliver Red Wings 5th straight loss

Dave Reginek / National Hockey League / Getty

DETROIT - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored a go-ahead goal late in the second period on an assist from Connor McDavid, giving the Edmonton Oilers a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Edmonton's Jonas Gustavsson made 22 saves and Tyler Pitlick scored a tying goal for the Oilers late in the first period.

The Pacific Division-leading Oilers have won two straight, playing their first set of back-to-back games this season, after losing three in a row.

Justin Abdelkader put the Red Wings up 1-0 midway through the first period on a power play, and Jimmy Howard made 26 saves.

Detroit has lost five straight after winning six consecutive games.

McDavid made the go-ahead goal happen, starting with a faceoff he won in the left circle. After the draw, the 19-year-old center skated toward the net before finding a spot on the bottom of the right circle. McDavid got the puck back, drew three Detroit players, and threaded a pass between two of them to Nugent-Hopkins on the inside of the left circle, where he shot into an empty net.

Detroit became the first team to score with an extra skater at home against the Oilers, who rank among NHL leaders in penalty killing, when Abdelkader scored 8:53 into the game.

The Red Wings pulled Howard with a minute left and a faceoff in the Edmonton end, but they couldn't score to send the game to overtime.

NOTES: Gustavsson, a former Red Wing, played in just his second game this season to give Cam Talbot a break. ... Detroit F Thomas Vanek missed his sixth game with a lower body injury.

UP NEXT

Oilers: Edmonton plays at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

Red Wings: Detroit plays at Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox