DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings decided to try overtime a different way, forward Brad Richards scored the only goal of the shootout to give Detroit a 5-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena.

The Red Wings have gone to overtime for the past five games and seven of the last eight, but it was the first shootout for the Red Wings this season.

Left winger Justin Abdelkader had two goals, an assist and a fight, and left wingers Tomas Tatar and Drew Miller also scored for Detroit. Right winger Gustav Nyquist had two assists and goaltender Petr Mrazek made 28 saves.

The Red Wings led 2-0 and 3-1 but had to tie it late.

"That was a wild game for sure. I thought we dominated and had some good chances there throughout the game. Obviously we gave a little too much defensively and a few mistakes but nice to see the puck go in for us," Abdelkader said. "I thought our penalty kill did a great job in overtime, that's huge. It's never easy to defend a 4-on-3. Then obviously Petr made three saves and Richie got the goal. It's nice to win one in overtime, a few too many overtime games here of late but we'll take the points."

Left winger Evander Kane had two goals, center Zemgus Girgensons a goal and an assist and defenseman Zach Bogosian scored for Buffalo. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen had three assists and goalie Linus Ullmark stopped 42 shots.

"We got down, with their first shot, and they get another on a face-off play that caroms in off their player and over our goalie," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said. "When you're down 2-0, you have to go after it and I think you saw that in how the game was played up and down the ice. We had to fight back."

Abdelkader's second goal of the game came on the power play with 6:29 left and tied it 4-4. Abdelkader put a shot along the ice past Ullmark while skating from right to left in the right circle for his seventh goal.

The Sabres took the lead with two goals in the first 3:22 of the third period.

Kane's second goal of the game -- on the power play -- tied the game 3-3 at 53 seconds of the third period. It was Kane's fourth goal of the season. Bogosian made it 4-3 at 3:22 when his screened shot from the left circle found its way past Mrazek. It was Bogosian's first goal of the season.

"We didn't start well. We weren't ready to play ... We weren't ready to play but we started to battle," Ristolainen said. "We had chances to win the game in overtime. So we get a point."

The Red Wings have surrendered a third-period lead in the past five games and six of the past eight.

"We kind of gave away a couple games here in the past. To get that one back was big for us," Miller said.

Tatar, who turned 25 on Tuesday, gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead 1:34 into the game with a backhand shot from the high slot. It was his ninth goal of the season and third in four games.

Abdelkader was credited with his sixth goal with 9:28 left in the first period when defenseman Jonathan Ericsson's shot from the point hit Abdelkader in the chest and bounced over Ullmark's shoulder and into the net.

Kane scored with 2:30 left in the first period. He beat Mrazek with a wrist shot from the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush. It was Kane's third goal.

Miller made it 3-1 at 4:21 of the second period. He took a pass from Abdelkader in the left circle and snapped a shot under the crossbar for Miller's first goal of the season and first in 32 games.

"It's nice to get the first one out of the way -- finally," Miller said.

Girgensons' power-play goal with 2:51 left in the second period made it a one-goal game. He deflected Ristolainen's shot out of mid-air and past Mrazek. It was his second goal.

NOTE: Detroit rookie F Dylan Larkin was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November on Tuesday. He had seven goals and 10 points in 13 games in the month. He has 10 goals and eight assists in 24 games for the season. ... Larkin and Buffalo rookie C Jack Eichel, both 19, are good friends. They played together at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Eichel, the No. 2 overall pick in this past June's draft, has eight goals and 12 points in 24 games. ... Sabres LW Johan Larsson returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games.