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Oesterle, Larkin lift Red Wings to overtime victory against Ducks

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Photo credit:Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Gould
2 years ago
@Jordan Oesterle’s first goal as a Detroit Red Wing could not have come at a better time.
The 29-year-old defenseman ended his 61-game goalless drought in overtime on Monday, sealing a 2–1 Red Wings victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
After @Dylan Larkin won a faceoff in the offensive zone, the puck found its way back to Oesterle in the high slot. The Dearborn Heights, MI product quickly fired a hard wrister that beat Ducks goaltender @John Gibson under his outstretched glove.
Larkin picked up the lone assist on the first game-winning goal of Oesterle’s career.
Oesterle, a veteran of 276 National Hockey League games, signed a two-year, $2.7 million deal with Detroit last July.
Before joining the Red Wings, the left-handed defenceman amassed 15 goals and 65 points in 252 contests over parts of seven seasons split between the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Arizona Coyotes. Over the last four games, Oesterle has replaced Danny DeKeyser as @Moritz Seider’s defense partner on the top pair.
Larkin factored into two other goals in Monday’s game. One did not count.
With less than four minutes remaining in the third period, Larkin danced into the offensive zone and fired a shot that Gibson deflected back out into the slot. Red Wings defenseman @Filip Hronek pounced on the rebound and somehow managed to use both his skates to deflect the puck past Gibson.
After a review, the play was ruled “no goal.” If the original call on the ice had stood, the Red Wings would have taken a 2–1 lead with 3:49 left in regulation time.
(Oddly enough, Hronek’s last goal came against the Ducks back on Jan. 9).
Larkin opened the scoring in Monday’s game with a highlight-reel marker late in the first period.
The 25-year-old center took a pass from @Filip Zadina in the neutral zone and sped past Ducks defenseman @Kevin Shattenkirk before roofing a backhand shot upstairs past Gibson at the 19:22 mark of the opening frame.
@Gustav Lindstrom also assisted on Larkin’s team-leading 23rd goal of the season.
The Red Wings managed to hold the Ducks to just 15 shots in the game. Calder Trophy candidate @Trevor Zegras was among the 10 Anaheim skaters who failed to register a single shot on goal.
@Rickard Rakell was the only Duck to beat Red Wings goaltender @Alex Nedeljkovic in the contest. With the win, Nedeljkovic improved to 13–12–5 with a .910 save percentage on the season.
Monday’s game wrapped up the season series between the Ducks and Red Wings. The two teams previously met in Anaheim back on Jan. 9; Hronek, @Tyler Bertuzzi, and @Vladislav Namestnikov scored in a 4–3 Red Wings overtime loss.
The Red Wings (20–20–6) will return to action on Feb. 2 when they play host to the Los Angeles Kings (23–16–7) at Little Caesars Arena.

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