Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Red Wings concluded their 2025-26 preseason with a 6-5 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. The team overcame two separate two-goal deficits to secure the victory.

Detroit head coach Todd McLellan expressed satisfaction with how training camp was conducted. “I was happy with the execution of camp,” McLellan said. “The timing and the way it laid out. I thought the staff – training, medical, video, everybody -- did an outstanding job. New coaching staff comes in, it’s not easy. No one’s been through it before, and we have really good people back there that make it run smoothly. Players did their thing.

“The bonding part of it, I think, has been real good. It’s carried over from Traverse City and Grand Rapids to Detroit now. The ability to get back to some structural things, as a team, has existed. Now, we really have to polish things up.”

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård scored Detroit's first goal in the opening period off a pass from J.T. Compher, with Simon Edvinsson earning a secondary assist after returning from injury for his second straight exhibition game.

McLellan commented on Brandsegg-Nygård’s performance: “Every night, he just keeps getting better and better and has an impact on the game,” McLellan said about Brandsegg-Nygård. “Yes, scoring, but even his heaviness and grind component of his game is something we appreciate. He’s done a really, really good job.”

Toronto answered with goals from Logan Shaw and Nicholas Roberston before Patrick Kane tied the score early in the second period for Detroit.

Despite killing off a 5-on-3 power play by Toronto midway through the second period, Detroit fell behind 4-2 after consecutive Maple Leafs goals within 47 seconds.

Brandsegg-Nygård brought Detroit closer with his second goal late in the third period during a power play assisted by Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Marco Kasper. However, Cendric Pare quickly restored Toronto's two-goal lead.

Sandin-Pellikka spoke about playing on special teams: “It’s fun,” Sandin-Pellikka said. “Getting the opportunity to play that here is a good experience for me. A little free apple today from Michael, so that was pretty nice.”

With less than three minutes left in regulation and facing a two-goal deficit again during a 6-on-3 power play, Kane set up Dylan Larkin for another goal to narrow Toronto's lead to one. Lucas Raymond also assisted.

After pulling goaltender John Gibson for an extra attacker late in regulation time, Albert Johansson scored to tie the game at five apiece with assists from Sandin-Pellikka and Compher.

In overtime at 3:23 of extra time, Larkin scored his second power-play goal of the night off passes from Kane and Raymond.

Reflecting on the comeback effort Brandsegg-Nygård said: “A comeback like that builds the team,” Brandsegg-Nygård said. “It was a good job of us in the last period.”

As preseason ends, decisions remain regarding who will make Detroit's Opening Night roster ahead of Monday’s league deadline.

“For our staff, we’ve discussed a lot of things,” McLellan said. “Steve and I and Shawn Horcoff and his group have worked really close together with what we’re thinking, why we like certain players and pairs or combinations of players. We’ll get a complete injury report tonight, have a day off tomorrow and then Monday’s a big day for us. We got to figure out where we start.”

Detroit will open its regular season Thursday against Montreal at Little Caesars Arena following pregame festivities including fan events such as Red Carpet Walk presented by Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Meijer in Chevy Plaza.

McLellan shared thoughts about young players Brandsegg-Nygård, Sandin-Pellikka and Emmitt Finnie: “I’m really happy with all three of the kids. We may as well just bundle them all up and put them in a package. They’ve all competed from Day 1 until now. They’ve all improved. Their confidence level has gone up. The group has been very accepting of them. They believe that the three of them can help the group which is always a good sign.”

Sandin-Pellikka described his feelings after Saturday's contest: “I haven’t really thought about the game that much," he said."I’m happy we won.A good crowd so it was a fun game to play.” On emotions heading into roster decisions he added,“I have no clue.We’ll see probably won’t get that much sleep.I just think about what will happen.I’m ready for whateverandwe’ll see what happens."

Brandsegg-Nygård discussed growing more comfortable throughout preseason:“It grows.You getto knowthe players moreandthe guys here.You justgetmoreandmorecomfortableaspreseason goes like every season.I feel like I’m getting betterandbetter.”