Red Wings top Kraken 4-3 in shootout for 4th straight win
Adam Erne scored the decisive goal in a shootout and the Detroit Red Wings won their fourth straight game by beating the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on Wednesday night.
Detroit won the shootout 2-1, with Dylan Larkin also converting.
Robby Fabbri, Vladislav Namestnikov and Lucas Raymond scored in regulation for the Red Wings.
“I thought we were sloppy at times,” Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “We weren’t at our best and we found a way to win, which I think is critically important. You want to learn lessons while you’re winning.”
Ryan Donato had two goals and Vince Dunn scored the other for the expansion Kraken, who participated in their first shootout.
“I like the fact 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,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said.
Thomas Greiss made 21 saves for Detroit in his 150th career victory. 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 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 on Donato’s second goal of the night. He fired a shot from the right circle that eluded Greiss’ stick with 5:44 remaining.
Erne, who has three goals and six points this season, has become a fixture in the lineup after fighting for playing time in 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 played without their top two scorers, left wing Jaden Schwartz and right wing Jordan Eberle. Both were ruled out due to lower-body injuries.
“That’s part of this league. You have to find a way to have others come into the lineup,” Hakstol said. “A guy like Ryan Donato tonight got a little bit more of an opportunity and he showed he can help us earn points. It’s nothing more than that. You don’t overthink it. The guys that are available are confident. They’re ready to go out and work together. It’s all about earning points.”
Each team scored twice in the second period.
The Red Wings broke through with Fabbri’s power-play goal at 4:46. The Kraken evened the score at 10:44 on Dunn’s power-play shot from the point past a screened Greiss.
Up Next
Red Wings host the New York Islanders on Saturday.