While the Detroit Red Wings got off to a good start in Thursday evening’s game against the Edmonton Oilers by generating multiple offensive chances, they weren’t able to convert on them during the opening 20 minutes of play.
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Meanwhile, the host Oilers capitalized on their first power-play opportunity of the night and controlled play on the scoreboard en route to a 4-1 win, giving the Red Wings their first regulation loss of their season-high six-game road trip and first since Nov. 28.
Dylan Larkin, who leads Detroit with 17 goals on the season, said it simply came down to one team capitalizing on their chances and one not going so.
“I thought it was maybe one of our better games of the trip in O-zone time and generating chances,” Larkin said. “They capitalized on their chances. We didn’t.”
“They started with a power-play goal to get their offense going. That was something we tried to avoid and weren’t able to tonight.”
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Oilers forward Zach Hyman registered a hat trick by scoring once in each period, including an empty-net tally late in regulation to seal the victory.
The Oilers also got a goal from defenseman Mattias Ekholm, while goaltender Stuart Skinner picked up the win by making 27 saves.
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Detroit’s Cam Talbot surrendered three goals while making 25 saves in the venue he once called home earlier in his career during his tenure with the Oilers.
Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan, who once coached Edmonton, explained that there were still holes in Detroit’s game to work on.
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“The wins and points in the bank are great, but obviously we didn’t get them tonight, and sometimes, that can fool you a little bit,” he said. “But at the end of the year, it doesn’t really matter how you got them. We still have to work on our game.”
The Red Wings will conclude their road trip on Saturday evening with a matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center, and will hope to avenge their 5-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 9.
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