The Edmonton Oilers (14-11-6) hosted the Detroit Red Wings (17-12-3) on Thursday night (Dec. 11). This was their final meeting of the season, with Detroit winning their previous matchup 4-2 on Oct. 19 in the Motor City. The Oilers exacted their revenge, defeating the Red Wings 4-1. Here’s your game recap.
Game Recap
The home team opened the scoring on the power play 14:25 into the first period. Leon Draisaitl found Connor McDavid, who fed Zach Hyman backdoor, and he tapped the puck past goaltender Cam Talbot for his third goal of the season. The Oilers took that lead into the intermission, with the shots tied at seven.
Related: Projected Lineups for Red Wings vs Oilers – 12/11/25
Edmonton took a 2-0 lead 2:46 into the second period. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins entered the zone and found McDavid, who button-hooked along the left wing, finding Mattias Ekholm, and he ripped a shot off the defender and past Talbot.
The Red Wings responded 5:41 into the middle frame. Off the rush, Nate Danielson came down along the right wing, and found Simon Edvinsson in the slot, who chipped the puck over the shoulder of goaltender Stuart Skinner for his fourth of the season.
The Oilers restored their two-goal lead with 2:12 remaining in the second period. McDavid found Hyman with a through-the-legs pass from behind the net wide open in the slot, and he buried it for his second goal of the contest. Edmonton took that lead into the intermission, having a 13-8 shot advantage in the period, and 20-15 overall.
The Oilers shut it down in the final frame, and Hyman sealed the deal with an empty-netter for the hat trick and McDavid’s fourth point of the game. Skinner stopped 27 of 28 shots for a .964 save percentage (SV%) in the victory, while Talbot stopped 25 of 28 shots for an .893 SV% in defeat.
The Red Wings conclude their six-game road trip on Saturday (Dec. 13) against the Chicago Blackhawks. Meanwhile, the Oilers begin a five-game road trip against the Toronto Maple Leafs the same day. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
