DETROIT - Winning means never having to say you’re sorry, but there were no apologies to make in the Edmonton Oilers’ bathhouse on Friday.

The 30th-place Oilers came within 25 seconds in regulation time and Pavel Datsyuk’s sleight of hand in overtime of beating the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.

Playing with inspiration and perspiration, holding on to a one-goal cushion for 53 minutes, the understaffed and overmatched Oilers fell 2-1 to the Red Wings.

They gained a point and proved a point, that after getting trounced by the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, and with three of their top six forwards missing (Sam Gagner, Ales Hemsky and Taylor Hall), they could give the Red Wings all they could handle.

There was no woe is me talk after Nicklas Lidstrom’s prayer in the last minute of the third period pinballed off the foot of Andrew Cogliano and past goaltender Devan Dubnyk to tie the score. It was more of a paint-by-number job from Lidstrom than a masterpiece, and he admitted as much.

“When I got the puck, there was nothing to shoot at and I intentionally tried to shoot it wide for a tip,” said the Wings captain. “It went off the guy coming into the shooting lane ... the goalie reacted to what he thought was going to be a wide shot and couldn’t get back.”

Then Datsyuk slashed the stick out of the hand of Oilers rookie defenceman Jeff Petry on a cycle and calmly deposited a 25-footer past the heavily screened Dubnyk.

“I’m in front of the net with (Johan) Franzen, and next thing you know I have no stick,” said Petry, who was in no man’s land as Datsyuk circled for the kill and got a shot through a forest of legs and arms.

“Never saw the puck at all,” said Dubnyk, who made 42 stops.

The Oilers, who got a goal from workhorse Ryan Jones in the sixth minute of the game on “my ’oil twisted wrister, my signature shot,’’ showed equal parts of guts and gumption. They dressed 12 forwards but only played 11 because coach Tom Renney couldn’t find a way to get slugger Steve MacIntyre into the game for even a shift in the nail-biter.

Jones was their best forward, working on two lines and playing almost 25 minutes.

Defenceman Ladislav Smid, who played with a sore left knuckle after stopping a Lidstrom slapper in the second period, was their workhorse on the back-end. And Dubnyk, who got his first NHL shutout last March against the Red Wings, was cool and calm as Detroit directed 78 shots his way (44 on net, 34 wide or blocked).

“Their goalie was outstanding. He’s a huge man. He really does look six-foot-six. There’s no net there,” said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock.

“We fought hard and tried to win a hockey game ... I’m a little concerned about a couple of calls that weren’t made, but that’s the way it goes,” said Renney, who was scratching his head when neither ref saw Datsyuk slash Petry.

“Not sure how that happens to be honest, and on the delayed (cross-checking) penalty to Jason before Lidstrom’s goal, he touches the puck to pop it over to his partner, and the play’s not stopped.”

“I thought we deserved a better fate, but we’re growing and I can’t be prouder of this group, despite what people think.”

Better teams usually find a way to win, though. The Red Wings, who came into the game with four straight losses, were looking to beat up on the Oilers.

They had to play 64 minutes and 17 seconds to win.

“When you’re in the tank, it’s usually ugly when you come out of it,” said Babcock.

The Oilers clogged things up in the first period, making the Wings look slow and flustered, but were outshot 38-17 after that. They got wonderful penalty-killing, especially on a five-on-three kill for 1:26 in the third.

“Devan saw Cogliano was high-sticked earlier in the third by Drew Miller, in the same spot on his lip where he’s taken half a dozen raps this season. He threw his helmet in disgust as he went for stitches, but was back for the wild ending.

“I’m not too sure if Andrew’s girlfriend is going to like this one, but she can blame me,” said Renney.

Smid, who played 27-1/2 minutes, played hard and mean and played much of the game with only one hand. It’s going to be swollen today after Lidstrom’s shot nailed him.

“He was a horse out there and Laddie’s an example of our team getting nicked up and banged up and sacrificing ... this is a whole lot different than what’s been happening at this time of the season (in other years),” said Renney.

jmatheson@edmontonjournal.com