Alex DeBrincat scores twice as Red Wings rally for 3-2 win over Islanders

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News on Dec 16, 2025

Published in Hockey

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DETROIT — The Red Wings have talked much in recent days about finding ways to win and different ways to win.

Tuesday, upon returning home from a six-game road trip, they had a big third period, rallying from a 1-0 deficit and then snapping a tie, to defeat the New York Islanders, 3-2.

Alex DeBrincat's second power-play goal of the period, at 17 minutes 43 seconds, his 20th goal, broke a 2-2 tie.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka and DeBrincat scored goals 1 minute, 52 seconds apart early in the third period to erase a 1-0 Islanders lead.

Sandin-Pellikka scored his fourth goal, gathering the puck at the point, skating toward the net, and deftly flipping a puck over goaltender Ilya Sorokin at 2:03, tying the game 1-1.

DeBrincat quickly broke the tie. With Islanders star rookie Matthew Schaefer in the penalty box for holding, the Wings worked the puck over to DeBrincat at the dot, and DeBrincat snapped a shot, his 19th goal, past Sorokin at 3:55.

But the Islanders came back with Scott Mayfield's first goal of the season, at 11:26. Mayfield trailed on a rush, got the puck near the hashmarks, and snapped a shot past goaltender John Gibson.

Gibson stopped 16 shots, while winning his sixth consecutive decision (10-7-1).

Emil Heineman scored at 4:27 of the first period, his 11th goal on a one-timer on a pass from Mathew Barzal.