Namestnikov scores a pair as Red Wings manage to stifle Oilers' potent power play
Edmonton goes 0 for 2 after opening season with 10 straight power-play goals
Vladislav Namestnikov scored in each of the first two periods to help the Detroit Red Wings take a three-goal lead, and they went on to beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Tuesday night.
"This is definitely one of our best games," Namestnikov said. "We didn't give them much in the first two periods, and if we play like that, we'll win a lot of games."
The Oilers had won nine of their first 10 games for the first time in franchise history, but they could not overcome a slow start in Detroit.
The Oilers went 0 for 2 on the power play after becoming the first team since Pittsburgh in 2007 to open a season with a power-play goal in 10 straight games.
"They are eventually going to score on anyone, but it helps if you take two instead of taking six," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.
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The Red Wings have won three in a row and their rebuilding efforts finally seem to be paying off.
Dylan Larkin put Detroit ahead 3-0 midway through the second period, rookie Moritz Seider had an empty-net goal Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 31 saves.
"A huge part of winning that game was goaltending, but our battle level was very high," Blashill said.
Jesse Puljujarvi scored on a breakaway with 34.2 seconds left in the second to pull the Oilers within two. The only other time Edmonton was trailing going into the third period, it lost to Philadelphia on Oct. 27.
Connor McDavid cut the deficit to one in the opening minute of the third, scoring for the ninth time this season. The two-time MVP has at least a point in all 11 games this season.
Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 35 shots in his season debut, filling in for Mikko Koskinen on the first night of a five-game road trip. Skinner m ishandled the puck, helping the Red Wings go ahead 3-0 on Larkin's goal.
"I just fanned on it. Hard fan," he said. "Bad timing. If that doesn't happen, potentially we're still playing."
Facing a team with some of the game's greats, Namestnikov was the star of the show.
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman drafted Namestnikov with the No. 27 overall pick in 2011 while leading Tampa Bay's front office and signed him last year as a free agent. The Russian is producing this season, scoring seven goals after he had eight last season.
"I think last year was just a weird time with the pandemic and I hit a lot of posts," Namestnikov said. "This year, I had a good summer and some pucks have gone in."
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