Red Wings-Penguins Tweetcap: bounces, screens, and Kris Letang yield an overtime loss to Pittsburgh in a weird, sleepy affair

The Detroit Red Wings headed into Pittsburgh for the back half of a back-to-back slate of games and the start of a home-and-home series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night. The Penguins had won 2 straight and boast 17 wins on the 2025-2026 season.

On Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, well…The game was weird. The Red Wings lost 4-3 in overtime, but Cam Talbot was excellent despite giving up 4 goals on 31 shots, and the Wings were 2-for-7 on 13:48 of PP time!

Crosby would open the scoring with a pair of goals at 4:08 and 5:46, taking advantage of significant screens on Talbot, but James van Riemsdyk would score the 2-1 marker with a tip of an Emmitt Finnie shot at 17:56, for the Wings’ first of two PP goals…

In the 2nd period,d Andrew Copp would score one of the stranger goals of the entire season off a stanchion bounce at 1:01 of the 2nd, but Blake Lizzotte would score through another double screen at 15:51 of the 3rd…

And while Alex DeBrincat scored off an end-boards-and-in rebound of a Lucas Raymond shot at 17:02, on the PP…

Detroit would lose in OT, with Kris Letang scoring on another weird screen at 58 seconds, from Crosby and Rust, no less, to force the Wings to lose one of two valuable points. At least the Wings got one…

PREGAME: Cam Talbot and Arturs Silovs led their teams out onto the ice at PPG Paints Arena:

Pittsburgh posted their lineup first…

And then the Red Wings posted their lineup, starters included, just prior to puck drop:

1ST PERIOD:

The teams dressed the following starters and lineups:

PENALTY: Sidney Crosby tripped Simon Edvinsson at 20 seconds of the 1st period.

PENALTY: Nate Danielson sat for holding at 3:44.

GOAL: Sidney Crosby ripped a shot through Talbot via a Rust screen (AND Seider) at 3:44 of the 1st, and Mantha set up Crosby, who shot form distance.

Pittsburgh 1, Detroit 0: Crosby (22) from Mantha (14) and Karlsson (26) at 4:08 of the 1st.

GOAL: Emmitt Finnie turned the puck over at teh Red Wings’ blueline, Crosby skated up the middle and chipped a wrister through Talbot (and ASP) at 5:45 of the 1st.

Penguins 2, Red Wings 0: Crosby (23) unassisted at 5:45 of the 1st period.

PENALTY: A sleepy 1st period continued unevenly as Kulak sat for hooking at 9:43 of the 1st.

PENALTY: Detroit headed to its 3rd power play at 12:47, when Wotherspoon took a stupid penalty, holding up Michael Rasmussen and ramming him down to the ice. He sat for roughing.

Detroit went 0-for-3 on the PP in the 1st, surrendered a power play goal, and ultimately…

PENALTY: Patrick Kane was high-sticked by Novak, who sat for a double-minor for high-sticking at 16:19 of the 1st period.

GOAL: James van Riemsdyk tipped home a big booming Marco Kasper shot to make it 2-1 at 17:46.

Pittsburgh 2, Detroit 1: van Riemsdyk (10) from Kasper (3) and Edvinsson (10) at 17:46 1st.

2ND PERIOD:

Patrick Kane did return in the 2nd period. Stitched up.

GOAL: Remarkably, Ben Chiarot raced a rim-around shot through the Pens’ zone, the puck went off a stanchion, and Arturs Silovs could not react as Andrew Copp drove the slot and chipped the puck home at 1:01 of the 2nd period.

Pittsburgh 2, Detroit 2: Copp (5) from Chiarot (5) and Kane (18) at 1:01 2nd period.

PENALTY: At 10:09 of the 2nd, the Pens and their fans were incensed because Bryan Rust was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

PENALTY: The Pens fans and team were all relieved when Lucas Raymond was called for holding the stick at 11:42 of the 2nd period. The Pens were bitching at the refs all night long, as were their fans. Pittsburgh would get a 1:33 power play.

3RD PERIOD:

PENALTY: Lucas Raymond very accidentally took his 2nd penalty of the night when he high-sticked a Pen (phantom) and the Pen fell at 4:01 of the 3rd.

PENALTY: Lizzotte was penalized at 7:08 of the 3rd for accidentally tripping J.T. Compher.

GOAL(?): Lucas Raymond scored his 12th from Larkin (17) and Finnie (11) at 12:48 of the 3rd, but Finnie looked to be offside, so the Penguins CHALLENGED it.

Detroit was OFFSIDE, because Finnie did not drag his skate at the blueline. The game remained a 2-2 tie.

GOAL: Pittsburgh’s Blake Lizzotte put a shot off Simon Edvinsson and in at 15:51 of the 3rd.

Pittsburgh 3, Detroit 2: Lizzotte (4) from Karlsson (27) and Wotherspoon (11) at 15:51 3rd period.

PENALTY: St. Ivany sat for delay of game at 16:14.

GOAL: Detroit worked the PP well for once. Alex DeBrincat took the rebound of a Lucas Raymond whiff on an empty net, off the back boards, backhand and in at 17:02 of the 3rd.

Pittsburgh 3, Detroit 3: DeBrincat (21) from Raymond (33) and Larkin (17) at 17:02 3rd.

IN OVERTIME:

GOAL: Kris Letang scored through a screen by both Alex DeBrincat and Bryan Rust at 58 seconds of OT, scoring the 4-3 marker, from Crosby and Rust.

Pittsburgh 4, Detroit 3: Letang (3) from Crosby (20) and Rust (20 at 58 seconds of OT.

STATISTICS: Here are the Game Summary and Event Summary:

Published by

George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!