The Detroit Red Wings shook off early trouble in a road game to start the new year.
They rallied twice, but ultimately had to lose by one point to the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in overtime on Thursday, January 1, at PPG Paints Arena. Still, that gave the Wings six points in seven games.
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Red Wings playoff position
The Wings (24-13-4) lead the Atlantic Division by 52 points; they’ll have a chance to avenge themselves Saturday (noon, ABC) against the Penguins at Little Caesars Arena.
Sidney Crosby scored twice in the opening six minutes on Thursday, but goals from James van Riemsdyk and Andrew Copp tied the game early in the second period. In the 58th second of overtime, Kris Letang scored.
Pittsburgh Penguins center Blake Lizotte (46) goes up against Detroit Red Wings left wing James van Riemsdyk (21) during the first period on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Happy New Year? Red Wings resolution: Finally make the playoffs
last rally
At 12 minutes and 48 seconds of the third quarter, Lucas Raymond hit the net from Dylan Larkin’s shot, but the Penguins successfully challenged Emmett Finney for offside. Instead, Blake Lizotte’s shot went in off Simon Edvinsson with 4:09 left to give the team the lead.
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The Wings got a breakthrough when Jack St. Ivany hit the puck against the glass, and an automatic penalty gave the Wings their eighth power play of the night with 3:46 left. Alex DeBrincat completed the play, pulling the puck off the backboard and into the net to make it 3-3 with 2:58 left.
Crosby scored his 22nd goal of the season on a first-period power play, taking advantage of four players around the net that gave goaltender Cam Talbot little chance to see Crosby fire the puck from the top of the left circle.
Crosby took advantage of the Wings incident to finish 23rd in 5:46. Ben Chiarot had the puck inside his own blue line and tried to pass it to Emmitt Finnie. But Finney turned before he saw the pass, and Crosby swooped in, scooped up the puck, skated to the slot and hit Talbot on the stick side.
On a power play four minutes late in the first quarter, the Wings halted the Penguins’ momentum when van Riemsdyk drained a Marco Kasper shot.
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Andrew Copp scored 1:01 into the second quarter on a lucky rebound. Chiaro sent the puck up the boards from the blue line, but the puck hit a post and bounced in front of the net, which was open because Artus Silovs had gotten behind the net for the shot. Instead, Kopp scored his fifth goal of the season.
Please contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings earn points in 4-3 overtime loss to Pittsburgh Penguins
