Newark, NJ (SportsNetwork.com) – Gustav Nyquist scored the lone goal of the
shootout as the Detroit Red Wings clawed their way back from a three-goal
deficit to defeat the New Jersey Devils, 5-4, on Friday.
Nyquist, Detroit’s third shooter, veered to the right circle before cutting to
the slot and unleashing a wrister over the glove of Cory Schneider into the
top right corner of the net. Michael Ryder had a chance to prolong the skills
competition, but Petr Mrazek turned aside his offering with a blocker save for
the win.
Drew Miller netted the game-tying goal halfway through the third period and
Riley Sheahan, Xavier Ouellet and Justin Abdelkader all scored for the Red
Wings, who won their third straight game.
Mrazek made 21 saves plus three more during the shootout in his second start
of the season.
Mike Cammalleri scored twice, Jaromir Jagr supplied a goal and an assist and
Peter Harrold found the back of the net for the Devils, who have dropped five
of their last six games. Schneider turned aside 28 shots in defeat.
Detroit cut the deficit in half early in the second as Oullet one-timed a shot
from in tight for his first NHL goal to make it a 4-2 game.
On the power play, Henrik Zetterberg took a pass from down low and sent the
puck to Abdelkader, who made it a one-goal game on a quick shot in front with
7:09 to play in the middle stanza.
Niklas Kronwall rushed in from the point and skated in on net, but had his
backhander blocked. Miller was there, however, to deposit the rebound into the
back of the net for a 4-4 game midway through the third.
Both netminders made big saves late to send the game into overtime. Mrazek
barely got a piece of a Ruutu deflection to keep it a tied game late in the
extra session.
New Jersey opened the scoring 2:18 into the game after Jagr whacked home the a
rebound in front, but Sheahan re-directed Kronwall’s blast for a power-play
goal to tie the game 1:32 later.
The Devils reclaimed the lead on Cammalleri’s wrister from the top of the left
circle past a screened Mrazek at 13:52. Harrold scored his first goal of the
season to make it a 3-1 game with 4:42 remaining in the first period, as he
took Jagr’s neutral-zone feed and sent a wrister over the glove of Mrazek.
Adam Henrique skated up into the slot and sent a cross-ice pass to Damon
Severson at the right circle. Cammalleri finished off the play after taking a
pass from Severson down low for his second of the night just 28 seconds into
the second.
Game Notes
Jaromir Jagr moved into sole possession of sixth place and surpassed Mike
Gartner on the NHL’s all-time goals list when he scored his 709th in the first
… Detroit us 11-2-1 in its last 14 games against New Jersey … Greene
played in his 500th NHL game … Mrazek’s other start was a 28-save
performance in a 4-3 win over Winnipeg on Nov. 20 … Devils forwards Travis
Zajac (lower body) and Henrique (upper body) left the game in the third and
did not return … Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock tied Glen Sather for 20th
all-time with 497 wins … Detroit also defeated New Jersey, 1-0, on Nov. 7
… The two teams will conclude the season series at Joe Louis Arena on New
Year’s Eve.
