Game Review: Detroit Red Wings vs. Edmonton Oilers – October 19, 2025
The Detroit Red Wings continued their impressive early-season surge, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena. A sellout crowd of 19,515 fans witnessed the Red Wings extend their winning streak to five games after starting the season with a loss to Montreal.
Game Highlights and Scoring Summary
After a scoreless first period, the Red Wings broke through in the second when captain Dylan Larkin opened the scoring at 8:51 with a one-timer from the slot, assisted by Ben Chiarot and Lucas Raymond. Detroit quickly doubled their lead at 11:54 when rookie Emmitt Finnie scored his first NHL goal, capitalizing on a rebound from Jacob Bernard-Docker’s shot.
Edmonton responded just 31 seconds later as Noah Philp cut the deficit to 2-1, tipping in Vasily Podkolzin’s shot from the point. However, Larkin restored Detroit’s two-goal advantage at 17:05 of the second period when his wrist shot deflected off Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm’s skate and past Stuart Skinner.
In the third period, Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl brought the Oilers within one goal at 7:33, finishing a precise pass from Brett Kulak. The game featured a remarkable 11:05 stretch without a single stoppage of play between Draisaitl’s goal and the final minutes. Finnie sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 18:38, completing his first career multi-goal game.
Standout Performances
Dylan Larkin delivered a masterclass performance with two goals and two assists, extending his season-opening point streak to six games (5G, 6A). His defensive effort was equally impressive, effectively containing Connor McDavid throughout the game. Larkin joined elite company as only the third Red Wing to have multiple season-opening point streaks of six or more games, alongside Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman.
Emmitt Finnie had a breakthrough game, scoring his first two NHL goals and adding an assist. The 2023 seventh-round pick (201st overall) made history as the first player selected by Detroit in round seven or later to record a multi-goal game since Henrik Zetterberg in January 2015.
John Gibson was solid in net for Detroit, making 16 saves and even contributing an assist on Larkin’s second goal. His most notable stop came midway through the third period when he denied Connor McDavid on a crucial scoring opportunity.
For Edmonton, Brett Kulak earned third-star honors with two assists, while Leon Draisaitl scored his fourth goal of the season despite expressing frustration with his overall performance.
Key Game Moments
The most pivotal sequence came midway through the third period when Gibson stopped McDavid on a breakaway, and Larkin immediately poked the puck away from the Oilers superstar on the same shift, preventing another scoring chance. Later, Draisaitl had a golden opportunity to tie the game but lost control of the puck, leading to Finnie’s empty-netter shortly afterward.
The 11-minute stretch without a whistle in the third period created a frenetic pace that seemed to favor Detroit. As Larkin noted, “Maybe it helped us a little bit when it got chaotic. Good defense is going to lead to offense against that team, and that’s what happened tonight.”
Notable Developments
The Red Wings were without veteran forward Patrick Kane, who sustained an upper-body injury after colliding with the boards during Friday’s overtime win against Tampa Bay. However, Lucas Raymond returned to the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury, contributing two assists in 17:20 of ice time.
Edmonton’s struggles continued as superstar Connor McDavid extended his career-long season-opening goal drought to six games, managing just two shots on goal. The Oilers also lost forward Kasperi Kapanen to an undisclosed injury in the first period.
Coach’s Corner
Detroit head coach Todd McLellan praised his team’s approach: “I don’t think there’s a secret sauce. Our goalies are giving us a chance every game, we’re not giving up 40-45 shots against, and the penalty kill has improved. When all that happens, you get a little more confident.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pointed to execution issues: “Tonight there were a lot of missed passes and some poor execution. When the guys get some confidence and feel better about their games, we’ll execute those and get some momentum.”
Looking Ahead
The Red Wings (5-1-0) will continue their homestand when they face the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, while the Oilers (2-3-1) will look to snap their three-game losing streak when they visit Ottawa on Tuesday.
With this victory, Detroit ended Edmonton’s longest active point streak against an opponent, as the Oilers had earned at least a point in their previous seven meetings with the Red Wings. For a franchise desperately looking to end its nine-year playoff drought, Detroit’s hot start provides a promising foundation for the 2025-26 campaign.
Photos: Tim Jarrold – In Play! magazine
