Oilers explode in second period, down Red Wings 5-2

Detroit — The Detroit Red Wings came out of the All-Star break Tuesday searching for a victory to begin a needed win streak.

They're still looking, as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Wings 5-2 in the first hockey for either team after a 10-day All-Star break.

Edmonton's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his 23rd goal, on the power play, at 15:38 of the third period, giving Edmonton a 4-2 lead and Evander Kane (shorthanded) scored his seventh into an empty net at 17:33 to clinch the outcome.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Joe Veleno had Wings goals.

Warren Foegele scored two goals and Ryan McLeod one as Edmonton's fourth line had a big offensive night.

Port Huron's Jack Campbell stopped 30 shots for Edmonton, including denying Jonatan Berggren on a third-period breakway with Edmonton clinging to a one-goal lead.

"It was 3-2 and they got a power-play goal, and we had been so good on the penalty kill all night," captain Dylan Larkin said. "That's what good power plays do, they score at the right time. We didn't have the response."

The Wings (21-20-8) lost their second consecutive game and continued to slip further down the Eastern Conference playoff chase. Edmonton (29-18-4) has earned points in nine consecutive games.

BOX SCORE: Oilers 5, Red Wings 2

Veleno scored with nine seconds left in the second period, cutting the Oilers' lead to 3-2.

Just after the Wings killed Edmonton's power play for a second time, the Wings knocked Connor McDavid off the puck and started up-ice. Moritz Seider carried the puck into the zone, held on momentarily, then found Veleno coming in from the wing. Veleno snapped his seventh goal past Campbell, giving the Wings life.

"It gave us a great chance," said coach Derek Lalonde of Veleno's goal. "We had two good (penalty) kills and we scored, and we certainly gave ourselves a chance in the third. We had the breakaway, we had the looks, it just felt like the way we were pushing like we were going to potentially get one in the stretch.

"But we took another penalty, and you can't take four penalties, and they're on pace to have the best power play in the history of the game, and we gave them four and the fourth one killed us."

The turning point of the game occurred when Edmonton scored twice in 36 seconds early in the second period to take the lead. McLeod scored his ninth goal at 3:02, tying the game. Just as a four-on-four was ending, McLeod took a pass, skated free into the slot, and beat goaltender Ville Husso cleanly.

Only 36 seconds later, Foegele took a pass from Nugent-Hopkins on a two-on-one and snapped a shot past Husso for a 2-1 lead.

"That game was in good position for us, you could feel the momentum," Lalonde said. "I felt through the first 25 minutes we were the better team and you could feel it building, and we give up two easy goals and suddenly you find yourself down."

Foegele then added his seventh, and second of the game, deflecting Vincent Desharnais' shot from the point at 11:55 of the second period to make it 3-1.

Bertuzzi opened the game's scoring with his second goal. Seider kept the puck in the zone, and got the puck to Larkin along the boards. Larkin found Lucas Raymond sakting alone, and Raymond backhanded a pass across the slot to Bertuzzi, who had an open net at 10:24 of the first period.

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Bertuzzi, arguably, had one of his best games since returning to the lineup several weeks ago.

"I kind of noticed it in practice the last couple of practices," Larkin said. "The break was a good reset for him. I know he stayed here (during the break) and was working on his game. He's fully healthy and he's come back with a positive attitude. You could see it with him, he was in the battle and doing what it takes."

The Wings kept McDavid, the runaway NHL scoring leader, off the scoresheet until he earned a secondary assist on the Nugent-Hopkins power play goal.

The Wings have talked extensively over the last several weeks about needing to get on a win streak to get back into the playoff race. With several teams ahead of them winning Tuesday, this wasn't the ideal start.

"We were right there but it's still not enough," Larkin said. "It is frustrating we can't find traction. But there's still a little bit of time for us."

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tkulfan