Detroit Red Wings’ big second period lifts them past Penguins, 6-3, for third straight win

The Detroit Red Wings utilized a feisty and productive second period to construct a commanding advantage.

Although the Pittsburgh Penguins retaliated, narrowing a three-goal deficit on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena, the Wings withstood a late surge to secure a triumphant 6-3 victory, marking their third consecutive win.

After an extensive video review, Andrew Copp’s empty-net goal with 92 seconds remaining was confirmed. In addition, Alex DeBrincat notched his second goal of the game by capitalizing on an empty net with 1:11 left on the clock.

Ville Husso exhibited excellent goaltending, accumulating 30 saves.

DeBrincat’s initial goal revived the Wings following a lackluster start. During the second period, Ben Chiarot, Copp, and David Perron each found the back of the net, which culminated in confrontations between Dylan Larkin and Marcus Pettersson, as well as Moritz Seider and Evgeni Malkin.

In the early stages of the third period, Sidney Crosby’s assist led to Erik Karlsson narrowing the gap for the Penguins. However, Jeff Petry committed a stick penalty shortly after, but the Wings managed to quash Pittsburgh’s momentum by executing a strong penalty kill. Notably, Copp was awarded a penalty shot (unsuccessful) after Kris Letang impeded him on a breakaway. Bryan Rust then scored, reducing the deficit to one goal at 13:03, courtesy of a setup from Karlsson.

More: Why Detroit Red Wings ‘gravitate towards’ newcomer J.T. Compher

A Productive Period

In the second period, the Wings established an early lead as Larkin fed the puck to Chiarot, who promptly fired a shot through traffic and into the far corner. This marked Chiarot’s first point of the season. The Wings expanded their lead at 15:42 when Petry unleashed a powerful shot from the blue line that deflected off Copp and found the back of the net. Perron then capitalized on Larkin’s rebound at 17:49, a mere 17 seconds into the Wings’ first power play of the game.

DeBrincat’s Scoring Streak Continues

Credit must be given to Austin Czarnik, who made a significant impact by delivering a superb pass to DeBrincat, allowing him to score. In the first period, Czarnik expertly sent the puck low just as DeBrincat arrived to convert it into a goal, extending his scoring streak to four consecutive games. DeBrincat’s assist on Perron’s power play goal further solidified his impressive performance, tallying five goals and three assists.

Penguins’ Dominance on the Ice

The game began with Crosby winning the opening faceoff against J.T. Compher, and before the Wings could regain stability, Malkin capitalized on a scoring opportunity. Reilly Smith found Malkin deep in Detroit’s defensive zone, affording him the time and space to register his fourth goal of the season. The Wings struggled to regain control as the Penguins continually directed shots towards Husso, firmly asserting their dominance within Detroit’s zone.

Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her @helenestjames.

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