The Detroit Red Wings scored three late goals Friday night to come from behind and earn a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime.
The Red Wings were trailing, 2-0, entering the final minute of regulation before notching goals with 39 and 7 seconds left in play to tie the game. They scored again with just tenths of a second left on the clock in overtime to earn the win.
With goaltender Chris Osgood on the bench for an extra attacker, Kris Draper scored Detroit’s first goal. Jason Woolley sent a hard pass from the blue line that Draper redirected in the slot past Chicago netminder Nikolai Khabibulin.
Nicklas Lidstrom tied the game for Detroit, putting a slap shot from the high slot into the net.
The Red Wings won the game on a disputed power play goal. In the game’s final second, Pavel Datsyuk took a pass at the side of the net from Jason Woolley and bounced a shot off the inside of Khabibulin’s pads and into the net.
The red goal light never went off and the official behind the goal signaled that time had run out but the goal was reviewed. The video goal judge determined that the puck was in the net before the clock ran out and the Red Wings left with the victory.
Chicago had opened the scoring in the first on a goal by Tyler Arnason. With 40 seconds left in the period, Mark Bell drove the Detroit net and a sprawling Osgood poked the puck away. It came out to Arnason, who was open to lift it over Osgood to put the Blackhawks up by a goal.
Former Red Wing Martin Lapointe extended the Chicago lead with 5:51 remaining in the second. The Blackhawks converted a Detroit turnover into a 3-on-1 and Lapointe carried the puck into the Red Wings’ zone. He sent it to Matthew Barnaby before heading to the side of the goal. Barnaby sent it back and Lapointe was open to tip it in, putting the Blackhawks up, 2-0.
The game marked the first time this season that the Red Wings headed to overtime in consecutive games, also having played an extra period on Tuesday against Columbus.
The Red Wings were outshot 24-17 across the first two periods before taking 17 third period shots and holding the Blackhawks to five. Osgood finished the game with 29 saves on 31 shots while Khabibulin stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced.
Detroit scored on one of their six power play chances and held the Blackhawks without a goal on their three power play opportunities.
After the NHL’s Christmas break, the Red Wings return to action when they visit the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Mikael Samuelsson was out with a leg injury but Mathieu Schneider returned to the lineup after missing one game with a charley horse. Defenseman Jamie Rivers remained in the lineup as the Red Wings opted to use seven defensemen and only eleven forwards.