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 Left winger Justin Abdelkader scored with 43.5 seconds left in
overtime to complete a comeback from a two-goal deficit in the Red
Wings' 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
Pittsburgh led 3-1 until Detroit scored twice after pulling the
goalie late in regulation.
"We just hung around there, and I think we got better as the game
went on and found a way," Abdelkader said. "It was the last three
minutes to get a couple goals. We don't want to put ourselves in
that situation because the chances of (a comeback) are pretty slim.
I thought we worked hard, battled back, we had a lot of chances in
the game, but we found a way there at the end to push it to overtime
and got a win.
"That was a huge two points. I think those games can kind of bring
momentum for your team."
Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall had two goals and an assist,
and left winger Henrik Zetterberg contributed a goal and two assists
for Detroit (4-1-2). Goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 23 shots for
the win.
"We thought we had something going in the third, thought we had to
keep going and put the puck in their end and hopefully we'll create
some offense," Zetterberg said. "We got two late goals, and it was
good."
Right winger Pascal Dupuis, defenseman Olli Maatta and left winger
Chris Kunitz scored for Pittsburgh (3-2-1). Left winger Blake Comeau
had two assists, and goalie Thomas Greiss made 27 saves in his first
game of the season.
"Just finding a way," Penguins star center Sidney Crosby said. "You
have to expect, when a team's down, they're going to be desperate
and you have to be more desperate, especially with the talent and
skill that they have."
Abdelkader scored from the slot in the extra period, putting a shot
high past Greiss and off the inside of the goal post. Zetterberg set
up the play by separating a Pittsburgh player from the puck.
"I was towards the end of my shift there," Abdelkader said. "Puck
kind of squirted loose, I don't know if it was (center Pavel
Datsyuk) or Z that got a stick on it, I think it was Z. I just kind
of jumped in front of my guy, I don't think he saw me coming there
from behind him. I wanted to get a shot off quick there. Got it up
and just off the post and in."
Zetterberg scored with Howard pulled for a sixth attacker with 2:39
left. Kronwall tied it, on his second goal of the night, with 39
seconds remaining.
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"The last few minutes we were just trying to throw everything we had
at them," Kronwall said. "And tonight, (Datsyuk) made a great play
there on the third goal, DK (defenseman Dan DeKeyser) a great pass
to Hank for the second one, and we were able to find a way to get
back. And of course it feels really good to see Abby get that last
one."
Kunitz gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead 8:29 into the second period when
he beat Howard with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle. It
was Kunitz's third goal of the season.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead and were ahead 2-1 after the
first period.
Dupuis opened the scoring 5:12 into the game when he converted a
two-on-one rush with a wrist shot from the bottom of the left
circle. It was Dupuis' third goal of the season.
Maatta made it 2-0 with 8:06 left in the first period when he walked
out of the left corner and his backhand shot trickled through Howard
for his first goal of the season.
Kronwall put Detroit on the board with five minutes remaining in the
opening period with his first goal of the game and the season. He
beat Greiss with a wrist shot from the high slot.
NOTES: Detroit RW Johan Franzen is on the short-term injured reserve
with a sore groin. He missed his third game. ... Pittsburgh LW Chris
Kunitz played at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. ...
The Red Wings haven't allowed a power-play goal this season, killing
off 21 short-handed situations, including three Thursday. ...
Detroit assistant coach Tony Granato was formerly an assistant with
the Penguins for five seasons. ... C Stephen Weiss, F Dan Cleary and
D Brian Lashoff were healthy scratches for Detroit. ... Pittsburgh
scratched C Andrew Ebbett, D Scott Harrington and D Robert Bortuzzo.
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