It was but a week ago that the Edmonton Oilers dropped the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 at the Little Caesers Arena.

The Oilers started the game slow, but exploded early in the second period with a goal from Ryan McLeod and two from Warren Foegele. While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would score on the powerplay late and Evander Kane would end an empty net, it was a game that saw the Oilers depth players step up.
It&#8217;s something we&#8217;ve been seeing more and more of as of late, and it was a big help in that game. That wasn&#8217;t the only story line out of Detroit, either.
It was one of the most firey games of the seasons for the Oilers. Both teams were at each others throats all night long. While there were no fights on the score card — Brett Kulak and Robby Fabbri twirling at center ice as time expired not counting — there were seven roughing penalties handed out in the game.
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vincent desharnais is The Big Man <a href="https://t.co/nSxR4NbQoU">pic.twitter.com/nSxR4NbQoU</a>
&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623135289941327873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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things have gone from bubbling to percolating between the oilers and red wings. <a href="https://t.co/y4SrZ5jHcr">pic.twitter.com/y4SrZ5jHcr</a>
&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623151810646265857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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*ding ding ding*
more scrumming between the oilers and red wings. <a href="https://t.co/6RVfH9aQ5P">pic.twitter.com/6RVfH9aQ5P</a>
&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623154244068179970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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brett kulak and robby fabbri go for a twirl at center ice as the game ends. <a href="https://t.co/nZf62uDwJq">pic.twitter.com/nZf62uDwJq</a>
&mdash; zach (@zjlaing) <a href="https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623158889251500032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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And now, tonight, these two teams will meet up in Edmonton and one has to imagine that more of this will come. It really seemed to come out of nowhere last week, but this type of animosity just doesn&#8217;t go away.
The Oilers carried that heat from the game through&#8230; parts of their road trip. They went to Philadelphia two days later and laid a stinker, but the fire in their game came out against Ottawa on Saturday. More scrums ensued and Evander Kane and Brady Tkachuk ended up going toe-to-toe.
We&#8217;ll see what happens tonight, but I can&#8217;t help but wonder if we see some revisitation of things — especially between Kulak and Fabbri.
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Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"> @zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
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It was but a week ago that the Edmonton Oilers dropped the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 at the Little Caesers Arena.



The Oilers started the game slow, but exploded early in the second period with a goal from Ryan McLeod and two from Warren Foegele. While Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would score on the powerplay late and Evander Kane would end an empty net, it was a game that saw the Oilers depth players step up.

It's something we've been seeing more and more of as of late, and it was a big help in that game. That wasn't the only story line out of Detroit, either.

It was one of the most firey games of the seasons for the Oilers. Both teams were at each others throats all night long. While there were no fights on the score card — Brett Kulak and Robby Fabbri twirling at center ice as time expired not counting — there were seven roughing penalties handed out in the game.

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623135289941327873

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623151810646265857

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623154244068179970

https://twitter.com/zjlaing/status/1623158889251500032

And now, tonight, these two teams will meet up in Edmonton and one has to imagine that more of this will come. It really seemed to come out of nowhere last week, but this type of animosity just doesn't go away.

The Oilers carried that heat from the game through... parts of their road trip. They went to Philadelphia two days later and laid a stinker, but the fire in their game came out against Ottawa on Saturday. More scrums ensued and Evander Kane and Brady Tkachuk ended up going toe-to-toe.

We'll see what happens tonight, but I can't help but wonder if we see some revisitation of things — especially between Kulak and Fabbri.

<hr />

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"> @zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.

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Will sparks fly tonight between the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings?

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