LOS ANGELES — In a hard-fought game featuring dramatic twists and turns rivalling those of the Hollywood blockbusters that are made outside of Crypto.com Arena, the Detroit Red Wings squandered a two-goal lead late in the third period but prevailed via shootout, 4-3, over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.
“Obviously, we don’t want that to happen,” said Alex DeBrincat, who scored a power-play goal and added an assist for his second straight multi-point game and third multi-point performance of the season. “But to battle through that, good PK in overtime and to win in a shootout is great. Two points is two points, and it doesn’t matter how you get them. I thought we battled well today.”
Goalie Cam Talbot made 35 saves through regulation and overtime for Detroit (8-3-0; 16 points), which earned eight victories in October for just the fifth time in franchise history. As for Los Angeles (5-3-4; 14 points), it extended its point streak to seven straight games behind 24 saves from netminder Darcy Kuemper.
“These are never easy buildings to come into,” Talbot said. “A lot of travel and late nights, so to come out here and start the road trip off with two big wins is huge for the rest of the trip for sure.”
The Red Wings got the game’s first power play at 9:16 of the first period before the Kings received one of their own at 14:59. And while both clubs traded chances during those special-teams situations as well as throughout the entire opening frame, things were scoreless at the first intermission.
That changed midway through the second period, as Alex Laferriere’s short-handed goal gave Los Angeles a 1-0 lead at 12:39. However, Detroit matched that less than a minute later on the same power play when DeBrincat got Lucas Raymond’s pass and scored blocker side with a one-timer from the right face-off circle to tie it 1-1 at 13:22. DeBrincat’s goal, with a secondary assist going to Mortiz Seider, was his third in as many games.
“A couple of unfortunate bounces there on the power play, and they get a breakaway,” said DeBrincat, who also extended his point streak to four consecutive contests. “I think we’re pretty confident in our abilities on the power play, and to just not let it bother us. Go out there and put one in the net, so it was a good thing we could do it that quick and get the momentum back.”