Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings faced a challenging evening at the 2025 NHL Stadium Series, held at Ohio Stadium. Despite their efforts, they were defeated by the Columbus Blue Jackets with a final score of 5-3. The event was notable for drawing the second-largest crowd in NHL history and included tributes to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Detroit's head coach Todd McLellan expressed pride in his team's performance despite the loss. "Prior to the game, we talked about whatever the result was going to be, as long as we had a good effort, we should cherish what we just went through here," he said. He commended both Columbus and the NHL for organizing a smooth event.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice for Detroit, marking his fourth multi-goal game of the season. Reflecting on the match, DeBrincat noted, "It’s hard to come back in this league... We got to regroup and come back on Tuesday stronger."

The game began with both teams cautious in their approach during a scoreless first period. Columbus took an early lead in the second period with Denton Mateychuk scoring first. DeBrincat responded with a power-play goal that tied the game 1-1.

Columbus quickly regained momentum late in the second period with goals from Dmitri Voronkov and Mathieu Olivier within 32 seconds. Patrick Kane reduced Detroit's deficit early in the third period before DeBrincat tied it again at 3-3.

However, Justin Danforth soon put Columbus ahead once more after a controversial play involving Simon Edvinsson went unpenalized by referees. Adam Fantilli sealed Columbus' victory with an empty-net goal.

Despite two consecutive losses to Columbus, Detroit captain Dylan Larkin acknowledged that Saturday's event was significant beyond just hockey: "This night was special... I want both of our teams in playoffs."

Looking ahead, Detroit will host Carolina Hurricanes next at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday night.