EDMONTON — If you came away with anything from the Edmonton Oilers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings Monday night, it was that the young guys looked pretty good.

The only problem was, the young guy who looked the best was 24-year-old Michal Postava, the goaltender making his first National Hockey League start in the Red Wings’ net.

“He’s solid,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the third Oiler to be thwarted by Postava in the shootout, allowing Lucas Raymond’s wrist shot past Tristan Jarry to stand up as the game-winner. “I thought he was good positionally and always there. Even in the shootout, I saw both Connor and Leo deke, and he stuck with it. I tried to beat him with a shot and he was right there.”

Postava was better than excellent, robbing Evan Bouchard twice in overtime, then stopping each of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins in the shootout. He’s an undrafted rookie from a Czech town of 25,000, who the Oilers had interest in when he chose Detroit.

You never know with goalies — whether he goes on to greatness or becomes a one-game wonder — but if nothing else Postava will have a heck of a tale to tell the grandchildren one........

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