With just over 11 minutes left, the Oilers finally broke Cam Talbot as birthday boy Leon Draisaitl attempted a cross-ice pass to McDavid, the puck taking a lucky pass from Olli Määttä and going in.

The tie didn’t last very long, however, as the Red Wings scored less than a minute later. Former Oiler Jeff Petry’s blast was blocked by Andrew Copp in front of the net, beating Pickard to regain the lead.

Fortunately, the Oilers scored the tying goal with just over nine minutes left in the final period, as Evan Bouchard fired a half-Bouchbomb (which still reached a tick below 94 mph) through a screen .

For the second straight game in Detroit between two teams, the Oilers won in overtime. Nine seconds of the Oilers’ power play carried into overtime, giving us a brief four-on-four overtime. Just 18 seconds into the overtime period, Mattias Ekholm received the puck in the offensive zone and faked a slap shot, choosing instead to pass it to a wide-open Leon Draisaitl for his second of the game.

Calvin Pickard’s performance was one of the main reasons the Oilers were ultimately able to win this one. Despite playing their second straight game, the Red Wings managed to pull through, firing 13 shots in the first period while the Oilers had just five. Overall, Pickard finished with a .926 save percentage. His season save percentage now sits at .877%, while he has a goals-against average of 2.91.

Speaking of the Wings’ dominance, their first period was excellent, but it was clear they were tired in the second and beyond. The Oilers dominated the third period, with the Wings getting very little zone time or opportunities.

For the second consecutive game, the Oilers did not allow a shorthanded goal, the third time this season. This time, they were 1/1 on kills, while being unable to score on their two power play attempts.

Oddly enough, the Oilers have struggled in four games this season, winning all four of those games. Yes, that means they are 4-0-0 when they fight and 0-4-1 when they don’t. This time it was Corey Perry against Joe Veleno, who had a nasty hit on Derek Ryan in the previous shift.

I have a soft spot for the Red Wings and consider them my Eastern Conference team. I’ll give some love to left-handed defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who made many key blocks in the third period. The 21-year-old is going to become a stud.

It won’t be long before the Oilers return to action, as they play their second straight game on Monday, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Edmonton will have the opportunity to surpass the .500 mark for the first time this season.