McDavid powers Oilers past Red Wings
EDMONTON, Alberta -- NHL points leader Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers began an eight-game homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Andreas Athanasiou had a chance to bring the Red Wings level early in the third. The puck came to him off a scramble and he had an open half of the net to shoot at, but put his effort wide.
Jordan Eberle's back-handed effort at 6:58 of the third gave the Oilers a two-goal cushion. But Darren Helm got a breakaway goal with 9:34 left to make it 3-2.
Patrick Maroon's 21st goal with 5:58 remaining gave the Oilers a 4-2 lead, but with Mrazek pulled and 35 seconds left, Dylan Larkin got the Wings close.
The Oilers outshot the Red Wings 38-25.
McDavid, who has 74 points, opened the scoring 1:41 into the first with a highlight-reel effort, blowing around the outside of Detroit defensemen Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul and tucking a back-handed shot past the outstretched pad of Mrazek.
Detroit tied it at 15:04. After a string of great saves from Mrazek kept it close, Anthony Mantha slotted home a pass from Henrik Zetterberg. Mantha and McDavid were teammates on Canada's team at the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championships.
Matt Hendricks brought the home crowd back to life with a check that sent Sproul flying into the visitors' bench. With the momentum back in their favor, the Oilers took a 2-1 lead with 22 seconds left in the first. Adam Larsson's point shot was tipped in by Zack Kassian after a clean face-off win from David Desharnais, playing his first game as an Oiler since being acquired from Montreal on Tuesday.
Sproul's brutal night got even worse early in the second when skating back toward his own goal, he lost an edge and fell awkwardly. He had to be helped off the ice.
NOTES: With the start Saturday, Oilers G Cam Talbot has appeared in 58 games this season, tops among NHL goalies. .... Red Wings G Jimmy Howard, who hurt his knee Dec. 20, played Saturday for the team's AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich., as he works toward getting back into NHL game shape. He stopped 31 of 33 shots in a 5-2 victory over the Texas Stars. ... Oilers D Kris Russell missed the game with an undisclosed injury. ... The Oilers scratched LW Anton Slepyshev and RW Iiro Pakarinen. ... The Red Wings scratched RW Mitch Callahan. ... The Oilers did not have to kill a penalty Saturday after surrendering four power-play goals over the previous two games.