Red Wings 5 – Oilers 4: Shootout Suter is Oilers’ spoiler

First Period

Goalpost already being a friend in the opening minutes, thank you blessed goalpost. It’s already time for a Rrrrrrred Wings powerplay! Kostin in the Bad Boy Box for tripping Määttä. Dylan “PAY THE MAN” Larkin scooooooooores a powerplay goal, 1-0 Wings.

Halfway through the period and it’s been a pretty even game, shots 4-3 and Husso has been sharp. And he’s had to be as McDavid makes his first scoring attempt. As the next few minutes go by the tide is turning to the Oilers as the Wings are having trouble hanging onto the puck. Not quite dump-and-chase hockey, but threatening.

Then the momentum swings back to the Wings with a couple minutes to go as SEIDER SCORES and it’s one that Campbell will not be thrilled about. 2-0 Wings. A backhand tossed at the side of the net and finds its way in.

No brawls, scrums or big hits this period. Starting the game with cooler tempers than last time and much less of a ref show.

Second Period

Not a great start! Nugent-Hopkins scores less than 2 minutes in. 2-1 Wings. Then the Oilers get their first powerplay as Veleno gets the puck over the glass penalty and sits in the Crimes Cabana. JV just had some bad luck it wasn’t him being a dunce. Some scary moments but the penalty is killed!

Seider and Kane had a few words and gave some playful (Seider) and angry (Kane) jabs but that’s it for crankiness so far.

Wings get their second powerplay with Nugent-Hopkins in the Dumb-Dumb Dungeon. ANOTHER POWERPLAY GOAL! ROBBY FABBRI! 3-1 Wings.

The Oilers get it back with another goal by Nugent-Hopkins. He and McDavid are making an effective team, unfortunately for us. 3-2 Wings.

Oilers have had most of the momentum but with 5 minutes to go Sunny had a little bit of a breakaway but couldn’t finish the job.

Faceoff wins are good! Määttä scores after Larkin wins the faceoff. 4-2 Wings.

And that’ll do it. Onward to the third!

Third Period

Again, the Oilers get an early powerplay. Husso makes a big save on the delayed penalty denying McDavid his 100th point. Hagg’s in the Timeout Terrarium this time, a weak call after Veleno being tripped was ignored, and the Wings pay for it as Draisaitl scores. 4-3 Wings. Nothing Husso could really do about that. What did I say about a ref show earlier? Keeping an eye on it…

Uh-oh. Tie game just 5 minutes in. Ryan tips the puck, and I’ll admit it was a very good job and not a fluke. Wings are getting pretty severely outplayed right now. Oilers fishing for a penalty as Kostin dives twice in one shift, have to acknowledge his commitment to the bit as the crowd gets worked up every time a Wings player breathes near an Oiler.

First little scrum behind the net with Larkin in the middle as usual, gives ex-Wing Janmark a little shove. After the commercial break another scrum with Kane finally getting involved, Seider making people angry in his cheery way.

Husso is having to make some big stops now as the Wings are still trying to get anything going with 10 minutes left and still tied. Larkin and Bertuzzi set up their best chance of the period where Campbell is the one who had to make his save of the game. That chance gave the Wings an extra pep in their step to start evening out the pace.

So close.

Oilers back on the powerplay with 3 minutes left as Hyman gets a stick in the face and drops like he got a piano dropped on him from the rafters. Chiarot in Evildoer Enclosure. Refs want Wings fans to go to bed and not see OT. Powerplay killed!

Husso makes a sassy snappy glove save and shortly after the refs generously grant the Oilers an icing call as Nurse just admires the puck as if he could never get to it. Then another icing call. They really don’t want us to get to OT. Newsy is not thrilled at the officiating choices.

Ref show? Little bit.

Loser point achieved.

OVERTIME

Another icing call, Ras annoyed and Newsy angry. Refs not believing the Oilers tipped it and the gang has to stay on the ice. An icing call goes our way with 2 minutes to go.

Please note that the Wings did a dump and change. In OT. In 3v3 OT.

Hronek saves the day with some great defense on the 2 on 1 after Perron and Veleno tried their own 2 on 1 the other way. Seider won’t let McDavid get around him and says you’ll have to go through me to get a shot off and you’ll never do that.

Ras gets the last chance for the Wings but Campbell makes the save, then he takes away the Oilers last attempt and that’ll do it for OT.