The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night, propelled by a strong defensive effort and timely scoring. Kris Letang scored the game-winning goal 58 seconds into overtime in his 1,200th NHL game. Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist, extending his point streak to five games.
The Penguins started the game with high energy, establishing a 2-0 lead early in the first period thanks to Crosby's two goals. Crosby scored the first goal on a power play at 4:08 and then extended the lead at 5:46, intercepting a pass and firing a wrist shot into the net. Those were his 127th game-opening goal, tying Gordie Howe for fourth-most in NHL history, and his 111th multi-goal game, passing Brendan Shanahan for 19th place all-time. Blake Lizotte also scored for Pittsburgh. James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings.
Pittsburgh's penalty kill was a key factor in the victory, especially early in the game when they had to kill off multiple penalties. The Penguins took 16 penalty minutes, while Detroit took only six. Despite being shorthanded frequently, the Penguins managed to maintain their lead. The Red Wings, who boast the league's fourth-best power play, struggled to convert their opportunities, going 2 for 8 with the man advantage. According to Penguins' goalie Arturs Silovs, the officiating in the game felt strange, with the Penguins going to the penalty box repeatedly. Silovs made 24 saves for the Penguins.
Erik Karlsson contributed two assists, reaching 900 NHL points, becoming the second active and 14th defenseman in NHL history to reach the milestone. Letang's overtime goal was his 13th career overtime goal, tying him with Scott Niedermayer for the second-most in NHL history among defensemen, trailing only Brent Burns. Lizotte briefly put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 with 4:09 left in the third period, but DeBrincat tied it again 1:11 later with a power-play goal. Letang sealed the win with a one-timer from the slot.
The Penguins have now won three straight games and four of their last five, continuing their positive momentum. The Red Wings had won five of their previous six games. Yegor Chinakhov debuted for Pittsburgh after being acquired from Columbus.
