Edvinsson scores in OT, Red Wings edge Maple Leafs

DETROIT -- Simon Edvinsson scored at 1:46 of overtime to give the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

Maple Leafs goalie Dennis Hildeby lunged out of his net to push a loose puck toward Auston Matthews, hoping to start an attack.

“I thought we could get a breakaway if I got the puck to Matthews,” he said. “It was the right play, but I should have used two hands instead of trying to scoop it with one hand.”

Edvinsson got to the puck first at the blue line, skated to the net and slid the puck inside the right post with a backhand.

“I saw an opportunity with the goalie out,” Edvinsson said. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. I put the puck in the net for once.”

Edvinsson had to be helped off the ice after blocking a Tavares shot with his ankle in the second period, but ended up playing a game-high 25:57.

“He’s one of our best shot blockers, and even after he went down, he still got his stick on the next one,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said. “His leg went numb, so he needed a little time to get the feeling back, but he still played half the game.”

The Red Wings (23-14-3) have won four of five and improved to 3-0-0 against Toronto this season. Cam Talbot made 25 saves.

“You have to win your season series, especially against teams in your division,” McLellan said. “We’re guaranteed to win this one, and we want to win more points.”

John Tavares had two assists for Toronto (17-15-6), which has points in three straight games (2-0-1). Hildeby made 33 saves.

“I liked a lot of our game tonight,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “It was a good game both ways; we played well, but so did Detroit.”

Detroit forward Patrick Kane returned to the lineup after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He is two goals short of 500 in his NHL career.

Toronto used some quick passing on the power play to take a 1-0 lead at 4:25 of the second period. Tavares found Matthews in front of the net and he flicked the puck to Matthew Knies, who beat Talbot while falling to the ice.

Moritz Seider tied the game at 19:01, scoring his seventh goal with a shot through traffic after Lucas Raymond hit the post.

“I thought they started to push late in the second period and we started turning the puck over,” Berube said. “We couldn’t get out of our zone and they got the goal, but other than that, it was a good game.”

Nicholas Robertson put the Maple Leafs up 2-1 at 4:53 of the third period, scoring with a slap shot from the top of the face-off circle after Tavares forced a turnover along the boards.

Mason Appleton, though, tied the game 23 seconds later, getting a step to the outside of Troy Stecher and beating Hildeby over his glove.

The Red Wings nearly won the game in the final 90 seconds, but Hildeby made a sprawling pad save on Andrew Copp and his attempt on the rebound hit the post.

“Dennis was great tonight,” Robertson said. “He gave us a chance to win the game.”

NOTES: The Red Wings are 5-1 in overtime this season and 13-2-3 in one-goal games. … Tavares has 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) in 43 career games against the Red Wings. … Kane played 17:51 with four shots on goal. … Knies has five points (three goals, two assists) in his past three games.