Czech goaltender Postava makes first NHL start, Red Wings beat Oilers in shootout
The Detroit Red Wings beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout in an NHL game on the road. Czech goaltender Michal Postava, 24, earned his first career win in his first NHL start.
In a National Hockey League (NHL) regular-season game, the Detroit Red Wings won 4-3 in a shootout away to the Edmonton Oilers. The hero was 24-year-old Czech goaltender Michal Postava, who started in net for the first time in the NHL and picked up his first career victory. The Red Wings came back twice from a one-goal deficit in the third period.
How the game unfolded
In the first period, Vasily Podkolzin put Edmonton ahead, sending the puck in off a lucky deflection after a pass from Leon Draisaitl. Midway through the second period, Detroit equalised on a power play: Viktor Arvidsson scored after a pass from Lucas Raymond to make it 1-1.
At the start of the third period, Isaac Howard restored the Oilers' lead on a power play, scoring his first goal since 28 October 2025. Just 30 seconds later, Emmitt Finnie levelled the score again, assisted by Arvidsson.
With under four minutes left in regulation, Colton Dach converted a shot from Ryan Shea to make it 3-2 to Edmonton. Officials used video review to check for a possible high stick, but the goal stood. Detroit pulled its goaltender for an extra attacker, and 86 seconds from the end of regulation Dylan Larkin made it 3-3 on a pass from Raymond.
In overtime, Postava stopped a dangerous shot from Evan Bouchard nine seconds before the end. In the shootout, Raymond was the only player to score.
Statistics and records
Postava made 25 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts. Arvidsson recorded two points (1+1), and Raymond had two assists. Edmonton goaltender Tristan Jarry made 26 saves, while Connor McDavid added an assist to extend his point streak to 12 games.
Postava became only the third Red Wings goaltender in the past 25 years to win his first NHL start, joining Petr Mrazek (2013) and Jimmy Howard (2005). He is also the third goaltender in NHL history to beat, in his first appearance, a team featuring both of the league's top scorers at the time. Frank Caprice did so in 1983 against an Edmonton team with Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri, and Denis DeJordy in 1962 against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Oilers suffered their second straight loss. They also lost forward Zach Hyman in the second period, after he hit his head on the glass following a hit from Andreas Englund and did not return.
