Adam Erne netted the decisive goal in a shootout, propelling the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night, marking their fourth consecutive win.
Detroit clinched the shootout 2-1, with Dylan Larkin also finding the back of the net.
Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Lucas Raymond scored in regulation for the Red Wings.
“I thought we were sloppy at times,” said Detroit coach Jeff Blashill. “We weren’t at our best, but we found a way to win, which is critically important. You want to learn lessons while you’re winning.”
Ryan Donato scored twice, and Vince Dunn added another goal for the Kraken, who experienced their first shootout.
“I like that when we got down in the third, we continued to push back and found a way to earn a point and get ourselves into overtime,” said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol.
Thomas Greiss recorded 21 saves for Detroit, earning his 150th career victory, while Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 shots.
The Red Wings took a 3-2 lead at 6:30 of the third period when Raymond, who leads all NHL rookies with 10 goals and 22 points, spun around in the slot and fired the puck past Grubauer.
“Today wasn’t the prettiest game, but we got it done,” Raymond said.
Seattle tied it up when Donato scored his second goal of the night, firing a shot from the right circle that got past Greiss’ stick with 5:44 remaining.
Erne, who has three goals and six points this season, has solidified his place in the lineup after fighting for playing time during his first two seasons with Detroit.
“He’s really had to earn his ice time,” Blashill said. “He’s been a jack of all trades for us.”
The Kraken were without their top two scorers, left wing Jaden Schwartz and right wing Jordan Eberle, both sidelined with lower-body injuries.
“That’s part of this league. You have to find a way to have others step up,” Hakstol said. “A guy like Ryan Donato tonight got a little more of an opportunity and showed he can help us earn points. It’s all about earning points.”
Both teams scored twice in the second period.
The Red Wings scored with Fabbri’s power-play goal at 4:46. The Kraken responded at 10:44 with Dunn’s power-play shot from the point, beating a screened Greiss.
Donato gave Seattle a 2-1 lead with just under four minutes left in the period after Detroit defenseman Jordan Oesterle slipped and lost the puck in his zone.
Namestnikov scored late in the period to tie the game at 2-2.
SHELVED
Less than an hour before the game, the Red Wings announced that forward Tyler Bertuzzi was placed in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Bertuzzi, the team’s third-leading scorer with nine goals and nine assists in 20 games, is believed to be the NHL’s only unvaccinated player.
Blashill later confirmed that Bertuzzi would be out for 10 days, missing five games.
Bertuzzi had already missed three Red Wings games played in Canada this season due to his inability to cross the border because of his unvaccinated status.
GAME NOTES
Seattle placed goalie Chris Driedger and forward Calle Jarnkrok on injured reserve. … Detroit defenseman Nick Leddy appeared in his 800th career game. … Raymond was named the league’s rookie of the month for November, with five goals and seven assists in 14 games. … The Red Wings’ current winning streak is their longest since a six-game run from March 23 to April 2, 2019. … Detroit will visit Seattle on March 19.
UP NEXT
- Kraken: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.
- Red Wings: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday.
