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The Detroit Red Wings continue to play hard, facing the end on a high note.
They won their third consecutive game Wednesday at Prudential Center, defeating the playoff-bound New Jersey Devils, 5-2, in what was the Wings' penultimate outing of the season.
The Wings (39-35-7) have won one game before and two after they were eliminated from the 2025 playoff race.
Even as they have nothing left to fight for, the focus has been on finding meaning in the final week. For Jonatan Berggren, it has meant scoring in consecutive games to reach 12 goals on the season. He has faced stretches of being on the outside of the lineup, and it was only earlier this week that coach Todd McLellan spoke of the need for Berggren to take advantage of the opportunity that comes with playing on the top line.
OPINION: It's popular to fire Steve Yzerman, but Chris Ilitch should give him 1 more season
For Alex Lyon, unlikely to be re-signed after the Wings added Petr Mrazek at the trade deadline, it meant making 28 saves to win a second straight start.
For Dylan Larkin, it was a chance to reach 30 goals for a fourth consecutive season. For Alex DeBrincat, the chance to creep within two goals of reaching 40. For rookie Marco Kasper, a chance to edge within a goal of reaching 20.
For the Devils, already locked into third place in the Metropolitan Division and coming off playing the night before on the road, it was a chance to rest multiple players, including No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom, and give a start to Nico Daws in just his fifth appearance of the season.
MORE: For Todd McLellan's Red Wings, all along it's been about building good habits
The Wings celebrated a goal 7:38 into the game, a minute into a power play, when Vladimir Tarasenko did what he hasn't done enough of all season and took a grade-a shot on net. The puck went in — but the Devils successfully challenged because J.T. Compher's stick caught Daws' left pad and then glove, which impaired Daws' ability to play his position prior to the goal.
Instead it was Berggren who showed off his shot for a second straight game, catching a puck that glanced off Simon Edvinsson's skate and turning it into a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
Compher ripped one beneath the crossbar to make it 2-0 at 6:20 of the second period. The Wings extended their lead three minutes into the third period when Patrick Kane dropped a pass for Moritz Seider, who found Edvinsson, who picked up his second assist of the game when he passed the puck to Larkin.
Former Wing Daniel Sprong had a hand in putting the Devils on the board during a power play midway through the third period, firing a shot that Erik Haula deflected. The Devils pulled within a goal with about five minutes to go when Dawson Mercer took advantage of sloppy defense.
DeBrincat replied with his 38th goal of the season to restore a cushion with 2:51 to go and Kasper added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
It's the first time the Wings have won three in a row since early February. They wrap up the season Thursday at the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on X @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings score: Dylan Larkin nets No. 30 in win vs Devils
Continue reading...
They won their third consecutive game Wednesday at Prudential Center, defeating the playoff-bound New Jersey Devils, 5-2, in what was the Wings' penultimate outing of the season.
The Wings (39-35-7) have won one game before and two after they were eliminated from the 2025 playoff race.
Even as they have nothing left to fight for, the focus has been on finding meaning in the final week. For Jonatan Berggren, it has meant scoring in consecutive games to reach 12 goals on the season. He has faced stretches of being on the outside of the lineup, and it was only earlier this week that coach Todd McLellan spoke of the need for Berggren to take advantage of the opportunity that comes with playing on the top line.
OPINION: It's popular to fire Steve Yzerman, but Chris Ilitch should give him 1 more season
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For Alex Lyon, unlikely to be re-signed after the Wings added Petr Mrazek at the trade deadline, it meant making 28 saves to win a second straight start.
For Dylan Larkin, it was a chance to reach 30 goals for a fourth consecutive season. For Alex DeBrincat, the chance to creep within two goals of reaching 40. For rookie Marco Kasper, a chance to edge within a goal of reaching 20.
For the Devils, already locked into third place in the Metropolitan Division and coming off playing the night before on the road, it was a chance to rest multiple players, including No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom, and give a start to Nico Daws in just his fifth appearance of the season.
MORE: For Todd McLellan's Red Wings, all along it's been about building good habits
The Wings celebrated a goal 7:38 into the game, a minute into a power play, when Vladimir Tarasenko did what he hasn't done enough of all season and took a grade-a shot on net. The puck went in — but the Devils successfully challenged because J.T. Compher's stick caught Daws' left pad and then glove, which impaired Daws' ability to play his position prior to the goal.
Instead it was Berggren who showed off his shot for a second straight game, catching a puck that glanced off Simon Edvinsson's skate and turning it into a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
Compher ripped one beneath the crossbar to make it 2-0 at 6:20 of the second period. The Wings extended their lead three minutes into the third period when Patrick Kane dropped a pass for Moritz Seider, who found Edvinsson, who picked up his second assist of the game when he passed the puck to Larkin.
Former Wing Daniel Sprong had a hand in putting the Devils on the board during a power play midway through the third period, firing a shot that Erik Haula deflected. The Devils pulled within a goal with about five minutes to go when Dawson Mercer took advantage of sloppy defense.
DeBrincat replied with his 38th goal of the season to restore a cushion with 2:51 to go and Kasper added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.
It's the first time the Wings have won three in a row since early February. They wrap up the season Thursday at the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on X @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings score: Dylan Larkin nets No. 30 in win vs Devils
Continue reading...
